Safety for vehicle users

ABSTRACT

Personal safety concerns for users of vehicles can be indicated, identified, communicated, analyzed, or acted on to make the users and other participants in the technology aware of the safety concerns and to reduce the risks to the users associated with the safety concerns. Personal safety concerns can be recognized based on safety concern triggers. Once recognized, the personal safety concerns can be reported to the users and other participants in the technology by safety alerts. The safety alert can prompt one or more telematics devices at the vehicle to capture, store, or transmit telematics data, including, for example, audio, image, or video data or combinations of them. The captured telematics data can be used to verify the safety alert and the safety concern and present the captured data to a third party participant to enable the third party participant to determine an appropriate response or action.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 16/451,193, filed on Jun. 25, 2019, which is a continuationapplication of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/407,502, filed on May 9,2019 (now U.S. Pat. No. 11,074,769), which claims priority to and thebenefit of U.S. provisional application 62/823,811, filed on Mar. 26,2019. The contents of each of the foregoing applications are herebyincorporated by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

This description relates to safety for vehicle users.

The typical dangers of vehicles and of driving and riding in vehiclesare compounded by risky driving behaviors, such as distracted driving,driving while incapacitated, and other unsafe driving habits, and byrisks of using ridesharing services, such as physical attacks on driversand riders. Government agencies, insurance adjusters, ridesharingcompanies, and society as a whole have an interest in making vehicleusers safer. Existing systems can be used to monitor unsafe drivinghabits and to enable vehicle users to raise alarms when their safety isat risk.

SUMMARY

In general, in an aspect, telematics data associated with a personalsafety concern is produced at a vehicle in response to a personal safetyalert indicating the personal safety concern for a person at thevehicle. The telematics data includes one or a combination of two ormore of audio, image, and video data. The produced telematics data issent for action with respect to the personal safety concern.

Implementations may include one or a combination of two or more of thefollowing features. Producing the telematics data can include acquiringtelematics data from one or more sensors at the vehicle. Acquiring thetelematics data can include acquiring telematics data from one or acombination of two or more of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, abarometer, a speedometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a position sensor, animage sensor, and a microphone. Producing the telematics data caninclude producing the telematics data at a telematics device or a mobiledevice, or both. The personal safety alert can be associated with one ormore impacts associated with the vehicle. The personal safety alert canbe associated with a noise in the vehicle exceeding a predeterminednoise threshold. The personal safety alert can be associated with acommand voiced within the vehicle matching a predefined voice command.The predefined voice command can be selected by the person at thevehicle. The method can include detecting an activation of a personalsafety alert button and in which the personal safety alert is generatedin response to detecting the activation. The personal safety alertbutton can include a physical button in the vehicle. The personal safetyalert button can include a software button presented in a user interfaceon a user device. The personal safety alert can be associated withincapacity of the person at the vehicle. The personal safety alert canbe associated with a relationship of a geographic location of thevehicle to a predetermined geographic boundary. The personal safetyalert can be associated with detecting an object in a path of thevehicle. The personal safety alert can be associated with the vehiclebeing in close proximity to another vehicle. The personal safety alertcan be associated with detecting that the vehicle is at an intersection.The personal safety alert can be associated with an inertial event ofthe vehicle that exceeds a predetermined inertial magnitude. Thepersonal safety alert can be associated with detecting that a telematicsdevice has been tampered with. The personal safety alert can beassociated with distraction of the driver of the vehicle. The personalsafety alert can be silent or non-visible or both. The producing oftelematics data at the vehicle can include capturing one or more imagesat the vehicle. The one or more images can include images of an interiorof the vehicle. The one or more images can include images of an areaexterior to the vehicle. The one or more images can include a video. Theproducing of telematics data at the vehicle can include capturing audiodata. The telematics data can be stored persistently. Sending theassembled telematics data can include sending the assembled telematicsdata to a mobile device of the person. The person can be a driver or apassenger of the vehicle. The method can include receiving the personalsafety alert from the person. The sending of the assembled telematicsdata can include sending the telematics data to the mobile device over aBluetooth network, a WiFi network, or another wireless network. Thesending of the assembled telematics data can include sending theassembled telematics data to a server. Sending of the assembledtelematics data can include sending the assembled telematics data to theserver for remote processing to verify the personal safety alert. Thesending of the assembled telematics data can include sending theassembled telematics data to a mobile device over a first network forforwarding by the mobile device to the server over a second network, andin which the first network and the second network are different networktypes. The server can be associated with one or a combination of two ormore of an automotive safety organization, an insurance company, aridesharing company, an emergency service, a call center, a user of thetelematics device, or a user of the vehicle. The method can includecausing a user interface to display the telematics data or the personalsafety alert, or both. Producing of the telematics data can includeproducing the telematics data for a predetermined period of time beforethe sending of the assembled telematics data.

In general, in an aspect, an apparatus can include a telematics deviceat a vehicle configured to receive a personal safety alert indicating apersonal safety concern for a person at a vehicle, produce, at thevehicle, telematics data associated with the personal safety concern,the telematics data including one or a combination of two or more ofaudio, image, and video data, and send the produced telematics data to arecipient device for action with respect to the personal safety concern.

In general, in an aspect, a non-transitory storage medium can includeinstructions executable by a processor to receive a personal safetyalert indicating a personal safety concern for a person at a vehicle,produce, at the vehicle, telematics data associated with the personalsafety concern, the telematics data including one or a combination oftwo or more of audio, image, and video data, and send the producedtelematics data to a recipient device for action with respect to thepersonal safety concern.

In general, in an aspect, a method can include receiving telematics dataproduced by one or more telematics devices at a vehicle, the telematicsdata including a personal safety alert indicating a personal safetyconcern for a person at a vehicle and providing one or more signalsbased on the personal safety alert to cause one of the telematicsdevices to produce additional telematics data at the vehicle and toprovide the additional telematics data to one or more recipient devices.

In general, in an aspect, a camera includes a housing comprising cameracircuitry and a moveable stalk extending from the housing, the stalkcomprising a first end and a second end, the first end being moveablycoupled with the housing, the second end including an image sensor.

Implementations may include one or a combination of two or more of thefollowing features. The camera circuitry can include a processor andstorage for instructions executable by the processor to cause the camerato capture one or more images. The camera circuitry can include one ormore communications circuits. The one or more communications circuitscan include one or a combination of two or more of a Bluetoothcommunications circuit, a WiFi communications circuit, and a cellularcommunications circuit. The camera circuitry can include one or moresensors. The one or more sensors can include one or more of anaccelerometer, a magnetometer, a barometer, a speedometer, a gyroscope,a compass, a position sensor, and a microphone. The camera can includean actuator configured to rotate the moveable stalk in response tosignals from the camera circuitry. The housing can include one or morebatteries configured to power the camera. A first side of the housingcan include a recess. The recess can be configured to hold a solarpanel. The first side of the housing can include one or more adhesivestrips. A second side of the housing can include one or more ventilationports, the second side of the housing being opposite the first side. Thecamera can include a flexible connector for electrically coupling thefirst image sensor to the camera circuitry. The moveable stalk canextends along a first axis and is rotatable about a second axis, thefirst axis being perpendicular to the second axis. At least a portion ofthe moveable stalk can be rotatable about the first axis. The housingcan include a speaker. The image sensor can include an infrared (IR)image sensor. The camera can include an IR illuminator configured toilluminate the field of view of the image sensor. The camera can includea second image sensor included within the moveable stalk. The secondimage sensor can be positioned toward the first end of the stalk. Thesecond image sensor can be positioned on the opposite side of themoveable stalk from the first image. The second image sensor can includea wide-angle lens. The camera can include an LED indicator includedwithin the moveable stalk. The moveable stalk can be moveably coupled tothe housing by a pivot mechanism. The pivot mechanism can include one ormore O-rings. The material of one or more of the O-rings can have aShore A hardness between about 75 and about 90.

In general, in an aspect, a method includes receiving a connection froma mobile device at a telematics device at a vehicle, the telematicsdevice including a camera positioned to capture one or more images atthe vehicle, and providing one or more signals to cause the camera tocapture one or more images at the vehicle in response to receiving theconnection.

Implementations may include one or a combination of two or more of thefollowing features. The camera can be an inward-facing camera positionedto capture the one or more images of an interior of the vehicle. Theinward-facing camera can be positioned to capture the one or more imagesof both a front seat and a rear seat of the vehicle. The camera can bean outward-facing camera positioned to capture the one or more images ofan area exterior to the vehicle. The camera can be coupled with anactuator configured to move the camera in response to the one or moresignals. The camera can be configured to zoom in or zoom out in responseto the one or more signals. The camera can include an infrared (IR)camera. The camera can include an IR illuminator configured toilluminate an area within the view of the camera. The camera can includea wide-angle lens. The telematics device can be configured to beattached within the vehicle. The telematics device can include apermanent adhesive or a semi-permanent adhesive for attachment withinthe vehicle. The one or more images can be a video. The camera can beconfigured to capture the one or more images at a rate indicated by theone or more signals. The camera can be configured to capture the one ormore images at a resolution indicated by the one or more signals. Afirst image of the one or more images can be captured at a firstresolution, and a second image of the one or more images can be capturedat a second resolution, the first resolution being different than thesecond resolution. The telematics device can include a microphoneconfigured to record audio in response to the one or more signals. Thetelematics device can be a tag device or a video tag device. Thetelematics device can be a mobile device. The one or more images can besent to a server. The server can be associated with one or a combinationof two or more of an automotive safety organization, an insurancecompany, a ridesharing company, an emergency service, a call center, auser of the telematics device, or a user of the vehicle. The telematicsdevice can include one or more sensors configured to produce telematicsdata at the vehicle. The one or more sensors can include one or acombination of two or more of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, abarometer, a speedometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a position sensor, animage sensor, and a microphone. The method can include receiving the oneor more images captured by the camera, detecting a personal safetyconcern for a person at the vehicle based on the telematics data or theone or more images, or both, and providing one or more additionalsignals to cause the camera to record one or more additional images atthe vehicle based on the personal safety concern. The personal safetyconcern can be associated with one or more of a vehicle crash, anactivation of a personal safety alert button, a distraction of thedriver of the vehicle, an incapacity of the person at the vehicle, arelationship of a geographic location of the vehicle to a predeterminedgeographic boundary, a determination that the vehicle is at anintersection, a determination that the vehicle is in close proximity toanother vehicle, a detection of an object in a path of the vehicle, anoise in the vehicle exceeding a predetermined noise threshold, acommand voiced in the vehicle matching a predefined voice command, aphysical altercation at the vehicle, an inertial event of the vehiclethat exceeds a predetermined inertial magnitude, or a detection that thetelematics device is tampered with. The one or more additional imagescan be captured at a different rate or resolution than the one or moreimages.

In general, in an aspect, a method includes receiving telematics dataproduced by one or more sensors associated with a telematics device at avehicle, detecting that the vehicle is in use based on the telematicsdata, and providing one or more signals to cause a camera positionedwithin the vehicle to capture one or more images at the vehicle inresponse to detecting that the vehicle is in use. Implementations mayinclude one or a combination of two or more of the following features.Detecting that the vehicle is in use can include detecting that thevehicle is on, detecting that a user has entered the vehicle or iswithin a proximity of the vehicle, or detecting that the telematicsdevice is in the vehicle or is within a proximity of the vehicle.

In general, in an aspect, a personal safety system includes a camerapositioned within a vehicle, a processor, and storage for instructionsexecutable by the processor to detect a connection between the personalsafety system and a mobile device at a vehicle and provide one or moresignals to cause the camera to capture one or more images at the vehiclein response to detecting the connection.

Implementations may include one or a combination of two or more of thefollowing features. The camera can be an inward-facing camera positionedto capture the one or more images of an interior of the vehicle. Theinward-facing camera can be positioned to capture the one or more imagesof both a front seat and a rear seat of the vehicle. The camera can bean outward-facing camera positioned to capture the one or more images ofan area exterior to the vehicle. The camera can be a mobile devicecamera. The camera can be coupled with an actuator configured to movethe camera in response to the one or more signals. The camera can beconfigured to zoom in or zoom out in response to the one or moresignals. The camera can include an infrared (IR) camera. The personalsafety system can include an IR illuminator configured to illuminate anarea within the view of the camera. The camera can include a wide-anglelens. The camera can be configured to be attached within the vehicle.The camera can include a permanent adhesive or a semi-permanent adhesivefor attachment within the vehicle. The one or more images can be avideo. The camera can be configured to capture the one or more images ata rate indicated by the one or more signals. The camera can beconfigured to capture the one or more images at a resolution indicatedby the one or more signals. A first image of the one or more images canbe captured at a first resolution, and a second image of the one or moreimages can be captured at a second resolution, the first resolutionbeing different than the second resolution. The camera can include amicrophone configured to record audio in response to the one or moresignals. The personal safety system can include communications circuitryto communicate the one or more signals from the processor to the camera.The communications circuitry can include one or more of a Bluetoothcommunications circuit, a WiFi communications circuit, and a cellularcommunications circuit. The personal safety system can includecommunications circuitry to communicate the one or more images to aserver. The server can be associated with one or a combination of two ormore of an automotive safety organization, an insurance company, aridesharing company, an emergency service, a call center, a user of thetelematics device, or a user of the vehicle. The camera can be includedin a telematics device. The telematics device can include one or moresensors configured to produce telematics data at the vehicle. Thetelematics device can include a tag device or a video tag device. Thetelematics device can include a mobile device. The storage of thepersonal safety system can include instructions executable by theprocessor to receive the one or more images captured by the camera,detect a personal safety concern for a person at the vehicle based onthe telematics data or the one or more images, or both, and provide oneor more additional signals based on the personal safety concern to causethe camera to record one or more additional images at the vehicle. Thepersonal safety concern can be associated with one or more of a vehiclecrash, an activation of a personal safety alert button, a distraction ofthe driver of the vehicle, an incapacity of the person at the vehicle, arelationship of a geographic location of the vehicle to a predeterminedgeographic boundary, a determination that the vehicle is at anintersection, a determination that the vehicle is in close proximity toanother vehicle, a detection of an object in a path of the vehicle, anoise in the vehicle exceeding a predetermined noise threshold, acommand voiced in the vehicle matching a predefined voice command, aphysical altercation at the vehicle, an inertial event of the vehiclethat exceeds a predetermined inertial magnitude, or a detection that thetelematics device is tampered with. The one or more additional imagescan be captured at a different rate or resolution than the one or moreimages.

In general, in an aspect, a personal safety system includes a camerapositioned within a vehicle, a processor, and storage for instructionsexecutable by the processor to receive telematics data produced by oneor more sensors associated with a telematics device at the vehicle,detect that the personal safety system is in use based on the telematicsdata, and provide one or more signals to cause the camera to capture oneor more images at the vehicle in response to detecting that the personalsafety system is in use. Detecting that the personal safety system is inuse can include one or more of detecting that the personal safety systemis on, detecting that the telematics device has connected to thepersonal safety system, detecting that the vehicle is on, detecting thata user has entered the vehicle or is within a proximity of the vehicle,or detecting that the telematics device is in the vehicle or is within aproximity of the vehicle.

In general, in an aspect, an apparatus includes a telematics device at avehicle configured to receive a connection from a mobile device, thetelematics device including a camera positioned to capture one or moreimages at the vehicle and provide one or more signals to cause thecamera to capture one or more images at the vehicle in response todetecting the connection.

In general, in an aspect, a non-transitory storage medium includesinstructions executable by a processor to detect a connection between amobile device and a telematics device at a vehicle, the telematicsdevice including a camera positioned to capture one or more images atthe vehicle, and provide one or more signals to cause the camera tocapture one or more images at the vehicle in response to detecting theconnection.

In general, in an aspect, a method includes receiving telematics dataproduced by one or more telematics devices at a vehicle, identifying apersonal safety trigger related to the vehicle or a user of the vehiclebased on the telematics data, and providing one or more signals to causeone or a combination of two or more of the telematics devices to produceadditional telematics data in response to the personal safety trigger.

Implementations may include one or a combination of two or more of thefollowing features. The telematics data can be produced by one or moresensors associated with the one or more telematics devices. The one ormore sensors can include one or a combination of two or more of anaccelerometer, a magnetometer, a barometer, a speedometer, a gyroscope,a compass, a position sensor, an image sensor, and a microphone. The oneor more telematics devices can include one or a combination of two ormore of a tag device, a video tag device, and a mobile device. One or acombination of two or more of the telematics devices can include acamera positioned within the vehicle. The additional telematics data caninclude one or more images captured by the camera in response to the oneor more signals. The camera can be an inward-facing camera positioned tocapture the one or more images of an interior of the vehicle. Theinward-facing camera can be positioned to capture the one or more imagesof both a front seat and a rear seat of the vehicle. The camera can bean outward-facing camera positioned to capture the one or more images ofan area exterior to the vehicle. The telematics device can be a mobiledevice, and the camera can be a camera of the mobile device. The cameracan be coupled with an actuator configured to move the camera inresponse to the one or more signals. The camera can be configured tozoom in or zoom out in response to the one or more signals. The cameracan include an infrared (IR) camera. The camera can include an IRilluminator configured to illuminate an area within the view of thecamera. The camera can include a wide-angle lens. The camera can beconfigured to be attached within the vehicle. The camera can include apermanent adhesive or a semi-permanent adhesive for attachment withinthe vehicle. The one or more images can be a video. The camera can beconfigured to capture the one or more images at a rate indicated by theone or more signals. The camera can be configured to capture the one ormore images at a resolution indicated by the one or more signals. Afirst image of the one or more images can be captured at a firstresolution, and a second image of the one or more images can be capturedat a second resolution, the first resolution being different than thesecond resolution. One or a combination of two or more of the telematicsdevice can include a microphone at the vehicle. The additionaltelematics data can include audio data captured by the microphone inresponse to the one or more signals. The personal safety trigger can beassociated with one or more of a vehicle crash, an activation of apersonal safety alert button, a distraction of the driver of thevehicle, an incapacity of the person at the vehicle, a relationship of ageographic location of the vehicle to a predetermined geographicboundary, a determination that the vehicle is at an intersection, adetermination that the vehicle is in close proximity to another vehicle,a detection of an object in a path of the vehicle, a noise in thevehicle exceeding a predetermined noise threshold, a command voiced inthe vehicle matching a predefined voice command, a physical altercationat the vehicle, an inertial event of the vehicle that exceeds apredetermined inertial magnitude, or a detection that the telematicsdevice is tampered with. The method can include sending one or more ofthe telematics data, the triggering event, or the additional telematicsdata to a server. The server can be associated with one or a combinationof two or more of an automotive safety organization, an insurancecompany, a ridesharing company, an emergency service, a call center, auser of the telematics device, or a user of the vehicle. The telematicsdata can include image data or audio data produced at the vehicle. Theadditional telematics data can be produced at a different rate orresolution than the telematics data. The additional telematics data canbe produced at a higher rate than the telematics data. The method caninclude receiving the additional telematics data produced by one or acombination of two or more of the telematics device and verifying, basedon the additional telematics data, the personal safety trigger toproduce a verified personal safety trigger. The method can includeproviding, based on the verified personal safety trigger, one or moreadditional signals to cause one or a combination of two or more of thetelematics device to adjust collection of future telematics data.

In general, in an aspect, a personal safety system can include a camerain a vehicle, a processor, and storage for instructions executable bythe processor to receive telematics data produced by one or more sensorsassociated with a telematics device at the vehicle, identify a personalsafety trigger related to the vehicle or a user of the vehicle based onthe telematics data, and provide one or more signals to cause the camerato capture one or more images at the vehicle in response to the personalsafety trigger. Implementations may include one or a combination of twoor more of the following features. The camera can be an inward-facingcamera positioned to capture the one or more images of an interior ofthe vehicle. The inward-facing camera is positioned to capture the oneor more images of both a front seat and a rear seat of the vehicle. Thecamera can be an outward-facing camera positioned to capture the one ormore images of an area exterior to the vehicle. The camera can beincluded in the telematics device. The camera can be a mobile devicecamera. The camera can be coupled with an actuator configured to movethe camera in response to the one or more signals. The camera can beconfigured to zoom in or zoom out in response to the one or moresignals. The camera can include an infrared (IR) camera. The personalsafety system can include an IR illuminator configured to illuminate anarea within the view of the camera. The camera can include a wide-anglelens. The camera can be configured to be attached within the vehicle.The camera can include a permanent adhesive or a semi-permanent adhesivefor attachment within the vehicle. The one or more images can be avideo. The camera can be configured to capture the one or more images ata rate indicated by the one or more signals. The camera can beconfigured to capture the one or more images at a resolution indicatedby the one or more signals. A first image of the one or more images canbe captured at a first resolution, and a second image of the one or moreimages can be captured at a second resolution, the first resolutionbeing different than the second resolution. The camera can include amicrophone configured to record audio in response to the one or moresignals. The one or more sensors can include one or a combination of twoor more of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a barometer, a speedometer,a gyroscope, a compass, a position sensor, an image sensor, and amicrophone. The personal safety trigger can be associated with one ormore of a vehicle crash, an activation of a personal safety alertbutton, a distraction of the driver of the vehicle, an incapacity of theuser of the vehicle, a relationship of a geographic location of thevehicle to a predetermined geographic boundary, a determination that thevehicle is at an intersection, a determination that the vehicle is inclose proximity to another vehicle, a detection of an object in a pathof the vehicle, a noise in the vehicle exceeding a predetermined noisethreshold, a command voiced in the vehicle matching a predefined voicecommand, a physical altercation at the vehicle, an inertial event of thevehicle that exceeds a predetermined inertial magnitude, or a detectionthat the telematics device is tampered with. The telematics device caninclude a tag device or a video tag device. The telematics device caninclude a mobile device. The personal safety system can includecommunications circuitry to communicate the one or more signals from theprocessor to the camera. The communications circuitry can include one ormore of a Bluetooth communications circuit, a WiFi communicationscircuit, and a cellular communications circuit. The personal safetysystem can include communications circuitry to communicate one or moreof the telematics data, the triggering event, the one or more signals,the one or more images, and audio recorded in response to the indicationof the triggering event to a server. The server can be associated withone or a combination of two or more of an automotive safetyorganization, an insurance company, a ridesharing company, an emergencyservice, a call center, a user of the telematics device, or the occupantof the vehicle. The telematics data can include image data or audio dataproduced at the vehicle. The one or more images can be captured at adifferent rate or resolution than the image data. The storage of thepersonal safety system can include instructions executable by theprocessor to receive the one or more images captured by the camera andverify the personal safety trigger to produce a verified personal safetytrigger based on the one or more images. The storage of the personalsafety system can include instructions executable by the processor toprovide one or more additional signals based on the verified personalsafety trigger to cause the camera to record one or more additionalimages at the vehicle.

In general, in an aspect, an apparatus includes a telematics device at avehicle configured to receive telematics data produced by one or moresensors at a vehicle, identify a personal safety trigger related to thevehicle or a user of the vehicle based on the telematics data, andprovide one or more signals to cause one or a combination of two or moreof the telematics devices to produce additional telematics data inresponse to the personal safety trigger.

In general, in an aspect, a non-transitory storage medium can includeinstructions executable by a processor to receive telematics dataproduced by one or more telematics devices at a vehicle, identify apersonal safety trigger related to the vehicle or a user of the vehiclebased on the telematics data, and provide one or more signals to causeone or a combination of two or more of the telematics devices to produceadditional telematics data in response to the personal safety trigger.

In general, in an aspect, a method includes receiving a request from afirst user device to join a personal safety technology, the first userdevice associated with a driver of a vehicle, receiving a request from asecond user device to join the personal safety technology, the seconduser device associated with a passenger of the vehicle, providing eachof the first user device and the second user device access to atelematics device within the vehicle, the telematics device configuredto produce telematics data for both the driver and the passenger.

Implementations may include one or a combination of two or more of thefollowing features. The first user device can include a mobile device.The telematics device can include a tag device, a video tag device, or amobile device. The telematics device can include a camera positionedwithin the vehicle. The telematics data can include one or more imagesof both the driver and the passenger captured by the camera. Thetelematics device can include a microphone. The telematics data caninclude audio from both the driver and the passenger captured by themicrophone. The telematics device can be configured to provide thetelematics data to each of the first user device and the second userdevice. The telematics device can be configured to provide thetelematics data for both the driver and the passenger to a trusted thirdparty. The trusted third party can include one or a combination of twoor more of an automotive safety organization, an insurance company, aridesharing company, an emergency service, or a call center. Thetelematics device can be configured to receive a personal safety alertfrom the first mobile device and the second mobile device. Thetelematics device can be configured to detect a personal safety concernfor the driver or the passenger by detecting a noise from the driver orthe passenger that exceeds a predetermined noise threshold. Thetelematics device can be configured to detect a personal safety concernfor the driver or the passenger by detecting a command voiced by thedriver or the passenger that matches a predefined voice command. Thetelematics device can be tamper resistant. The telematics device can beconfigured to generate an alert to one or more of the first user device,the second user device, and a trusted third party in response to atampering attempt. The telematics device can be battery powered.

In general, in an aspect, an apparatus includes a telematics device at avehicle configured to receive a request from a first user device to joina personal safety technology, the first user device associated with adriver of a vehicle, receive a request from a second user device to jointhe personal safety technology, the second user device associated with apassenger of the vehicle, and provide each of the first user device andthe second user device access to the telematics device at the vehicle,the telematics device configured to produce telematics data for both thedriver and the passenger.

In general, in an aspect, a non-transitory storage medium includesinstructions executable by a processor to receive a request from a firstuser device to join a personal safety technology, the first user deviceassociated with a driver of a vehicle, receive a request from a seconduser device to join the personal safety technology, the second userdevice associated with a passenger of the vehicle, and provide each ofthe first user device and the second user device access to a telematicsdevice within the vehicle, the telematics device configured to producetelematics data for both the driver and the passenger.

In general, in an aspect, a method includes receiving data associatedwith a telematics device located at a vehicle, the telematics devicebeing part of a personal safety technology, determining a status of thepersonal safety technology based on the data, and generating an alert toa user of the personal safety technology based on the status, the alertincluding an indication of the status of the personal safety technology.

Implementations may include one or a combination of two or more of thefollowing features. Determining the status of the personal safetytechnology can include determining, based on the data, whether thetelematics device is powered on. Determining the status of the personalsafety technology can include determining, based on the data, whetherthe telematics device is connected to the personal safety technology.Receiving the data associated with the telematics device can includereceiving a battery level of the telematics device. Determining thestatus of the personal safety technology can include comparing thebattery level of the telematics device with a threshold battery leveland determining, based on the comparison, the status of the personalsafety technology, in which the status is deemed to be unsafe inresponse to determining that the battery level of the telematics deviceis below the threshold battery level. Receiving the data associated withthe telematics device can include receiving a unique identifierassociated with the telematics device. Determining the status of thepersonal safety technology can include connecting the telematics deviceto the personal safety technology using the unique identifier, in whichstatus is deemed to be unsafe in response to a failed connection usingthe unique identifier. Receiving the data associated with the telematicsdevice can include receiving one or more images of an interior of thevehicle captured by the telematics device. The one or more images can beincluded in the alert to the user. Generating the alert can includedetermining that the user has entered the vehicle, causing thetelematics device to capture the one or more images of the interior ofthe vehicle, in which the user is pictured in the one or more images,and providing the one or more images in the alert to the user. Thetelematics device can include a tag device at the vehicle. Thetelematics device can include a mobile device. The alert can betransmitted to a mobile device of the user. The alert can cause themobile device to display a user interface including the indication ofthe status of the personal safety technology. The alert can include arecommendation to the user. The user can be a driver of the vehicle, andthe recommendation comprises a notification to not accept a passengerinto the vehicle. The user can be a passenger of the vehicle, and therecommendation comprises a notification to not enter the vehicle. Thealert can include an audible indication of the status of the personalsafety technology. The audible indication can be configurable by theuser. The alert can include a visual indication of the status of thepersonal safety technology. The visual indication can include an imageof the vehicle, a driver of the vehicle, or a passenger of the vehicle.

In general, in an aspect, and apparatus includes a telematics device ata vehicle configured to determine a status of personal safety technologybased on data associated with the telematics device, the telematicsdevice being part of the personal safety technology and generate analert to a user of the personal safety technology based on the status,the alert including an indication of the status of the personal safetytechnology.

In general, in an aspect, a non-transitory storage medium includesinstructions executable by a processor to receive data associated with atelematics device located at a vehicle, the telematics device being partof a personal safety technology, determine a status of the personalsafety technology based on the data, and generate an alert to a user ofthe personal safety technology based on the status, the alert includingan indication of the status of the personal safety technology.

In general, in an aspect, a method includes receiving telematics dataproduced by one or more sensors associated with a telematics device, thetelematics data including audio data or video data captured at a vehicleand providing the telematics data to a mobile device associated with auser of the vehicle over a first network, and the telematics data to aserver over a second network.

Implementations may include one or a combination of two or more of thefollowing features. The first network and the second network can bedifferent network types. The first network can be a Bluetooth network ora WiFi network. The second network can be a cellular network or a WiFinetwork. The server can be associated with one or a combination of twoor more of an automotive safety organization, an insurance company, aridesharing company, an emergency service, a call center, a user of thetelematics device, or a user of the vehicle. The user of the vehicle caninclude a driver of the vehicle or a passenger of the vehicle. The videodata can include video data of an interior of the vehicle or video dataof an area exterior to the vehicle, or both. The telematics device caninclude a tag device or a video tag device. The telematics device can beconfigured to provide the telematics data to the mobile device in realtime. The telematics device can be configured to capture the telematicsdata for a predetermined period of time before providing the telematicsdata to the mobile device. The telematics device can be configured toautomatically provide the telematics data to the mobile device inresponse to detecting the presence of the mobile device on the firstnetwork. The method can include causing the telematics data to be storedpersistently. The mobile device can be configured to provide thetelematics data to the server in response to detecting a predeterminednetwork type. The server can be configured to provide a user interfaceto present the telematics data to the user of the vehicle. The servercan be configured to analyze the video data or the audio data, or both,to determine the driving behavior of a driver of the vehicle. The servercan be configured to provide an indication of the driving behavior tothe driver through a user interface. The server can be configured toanalyze the video data or the audio data, or both, to determine whethera driver or a passenger of the vehicle is incapacitated. The server canbe configured to analyze the video data or the audio data, or both, toidentify a vehicle crash. The server can be configured to provide thetelematics data to a call center.

In general, in an aspect, an apparatus includes a telematics device at avehicle configured to receive telematics data produced by one or moresensors associated with the telematics device, the telematics dataincluding audio data or video data captured at a vehicle and provide thetelematics data to a mobile device associated with a user of the vehicleover a first network, and the telematics data to a server over a secondnetwork.

In general, in an aspect, a non-transitory storage medium includesinstructions executable by a processor to receive telematics dataproduced by one or more sensors associated with a telematics device, thetelematics data including audio data or video data captured at a vehicleand provide the telematics data to a mobile device associated with auser of the vehicle over a first network, and the telematics data to aserver over a second network.

These and other aspects, features, and implementations can be expressedas methods, apparatus, systems, components, program products, methods ofdoing business, means or steps for performing a function, and in otherways, and will become apparent from the following description, includingthe claims.

DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1a and 1b are schematic diagrams.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are block diagrams.

FIG. 4 is a user interface.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram.

FIGS. 6a and 6b are perspective views of a video tag device.

FIGS. 7a and 7b are schematic diagrams.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram.

FIGS. 9a and 9b are user interfaces.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart.

FIGS. 11 through 16 are user interfaces.

With the advent of sensor-equipped mobile devices and network-enabledtelematics devices that can be placed in a vehicle, it is possible touse technology to monitor driving behavior and other information at thevehicle to recognize situations that put the safety of vehicle users atrisk. Once recognized, notifications of these personal safety concernscan be provided to a third party, such as a call center or emergencyservices, to enable the third party to analyze the safety concerns anddetermine an appropriate response. Notifications can also be provided tovehicle users, such as a driver of the vehicle, to motivate the driverto reduce risky driving behaviors and make roads safer.

The growth of ridesharing poses additional safety concerns for vehicleusers due to, for example, the increased risk of physical attacks withinthe vehicle. Accordingly, it is possible to use technology to monitorand recognize safety concerns of both drivers and passengers at thevehicle. In some instances, recognition of these and other personalsafety concerns can be improved through analysis of audio, image, orvideo data captured at the vehicle. Audio, image, or video data capturedat the vehicle can also serve as evidence of personal safety concerns.

In some implementations, the technology described here (which wesometimes call a “vehicle user safety technology” or simply the “safetytechnology” or the “technology”) enables personal safety concerns forusers of vehicles to be indicated, identified, communicated, analyzed,or acted on (or combinations of them) to enhance the safety of vehicleusers by, for example, making the users and other participants in thetechnology aware of the safety concerns and reducing the risks to theusers associated with the safety concerns, among others.

We use the term “personal safety concern” broadly to include, forexample, any situation, event, occurrence, context, or scenario, inwhich the personal safety, such as the physical safety, of a user of avehicle is compromised or potentially compromised. In some examples, thesafety concern can rise to the level of panic; we sometimes use the wordpanic in our description to refer to such heightened safety concerns.Generally we use the term “panic” broadly also to refer to and beinterchangeable with the phrase “safety concern.”

To recognize personal safety concerns, each vehicle in the technologycan include one or more telematics devices configured to capturetelematics data at the vehicle. The captured telematics data can beinterpreted or analyzed to recognize personal safety concerns forewarnedby, based on, or associated with safety concern triggers. We use theterm “safety concern trigger” to include, for example, any occurrence,cause, source, root, or origin suggesting, identifying, indicating,alarming, or signaling a hazard, danger, or other safety concern. Insome examples, we use the term “panic triggers” to refer to specifictriggers of heightened safety concern and more broadly andinterchangeably with “safety concern trigger.” Safety concern triggerscan be explicitly indicated by users of vehicles (such as by pushing apanic button) or can be indicated or inferred in a variety of otherways, including by analysis, interpretation, and inference fromtelematics data and other information associated with the safetyconcern. In some examples, safety concern triggers can includeactivation of a physical panic button, activation of a software panicbutton, a voiced utterance or command, a loud noise, an impact, a crash,a violation by the vehicle of a geographical boundary, distracteddriving, an inertial event, a road hazard, close proximity of thevehicle to another vehicle or object, incapacity of a driver or occupantof the vehicle, a detection of a physical altercation in the vehicle, adetection that one or more safety components were tampered with, andcombinations of them.

Once recognized, the personal safety concerns can be reported to theusers and other participants in the technology by safety alerts. We usethe term “safety alert” broadly to include, for example, any report,alarm, notification, or other indication of a personal safety concern.Safety alerts may be made to one or more of a driver, an occupant, orother user of a vehicle or to other participants. For instance, in somecases, the safety alert can notify a server of the safety concern, andthe server can report the safety concern to the users or otherparticipants in the technology, or both. By making the users and otherparticipants in the technology aware of the safety concerns, thetechnology can deter personal safety violations by the users and canenable the users and other participants to respond to the safetyconcerns. In some cases, the safety alert can be silent or invisible, orin other respects unapparent to users of the vehicle during the safetyconcern to avoid escalating the safety concern.

In some implementations, the safety alert can prompt one or moretelematics devices at the vehicle to capture, store, and transmittelematics data, including, for example, audio, image, and video data.The technology (for example, the server) can use the captured telematicsdata to verify the safety alert and the safety concern to prevent orreduce false positives. In some cases, the technology (for example, theserver) can present the captured data to a third party as evidence ofthe safety concern. In this way, the technology can enable the thirdparty to analyze the safety concern and determine an appropriate actionor response. Other activities can be performed based on a safety alert.

We use the term “vehicle” broadly to include, for example, any kind ofground conveyance such as a car, truck, bus, bicycle, motorcycle, orrecreational vehicle, among others.

We use the term “participant” broadly to include, for example, any partythat owns, uses, hosts, or participates in the technology, includingdrivers, passengers, or other occupants or users of vehicles, or thirdparties such as government agencies, insurance adjusters, ridesharingcompanies, emergency services, call centers, analysts, researchers, andhosts of the technology, and combinations of them.

We use the term “user” broadly to include, for example, a driver,passenger, or other occupant of a vehicle, or a person who is to becomeor has recently been an occupant of the vehicle.

We use the term “telematics data” broadly to include, for example, anykind of numerical or other information about vehicle motion, vehiclestate, occupant state or behavior, or other information indicative of,associated with, produced by, or caused by a personal safety concern.Telematics data is typically captured at the vehicle at or by a sourcedevice and can be communicated by wire or wirelessly to another deviceat the vehicle or directly or indirectly to another device remote fromthe vehicle. Telematics data can include raw telematics data and derivedtelematics data. In some cases, telematics data includes informationcaptured at the vehicle and processed or analyzed at the vehicle toderive other telematics data, such as derived telematics data or summarytelematics data.

We use the term “raw telematics data” broadly to include, for example,signals, parameter values, and other outputs of sensors and otheroriginal sources of information.

FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate a safety technology 100. Generally, thesafety technology 100 can include a variety of components and devicesthat cooperate to perform the activities and functions described here.Each of the components and devices can include one or more hardwarecomponents, software applications, and data communication channels forcommunicating data between the hardware components and softwareapplications of devices that are part of the technology. Some of thecomponents and devices may be implemented as computer-readable storagemediums containing computer-readable instructions for execution by oneor more processors within the technology 100. The technology 100 shownin FIG. 1 may include additional, fewer, or alternate components,including those discussed above and below.

As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b , the safety technology 100 can include oneor more telematics devices 101, such as one or more tag devices 102 orvideo tag devices 106, or combinations of them, among others, and one ormore mobile devices 104 in or at each of one or more vehicles 108. Thetechnology 100 can also include one or more servers 110 and one or morecomputing devices 112, each of which may be at a location remote fromthe vehicles 108.

Each of the telematics devices 101 and the mobile devices 104 candetect, process, and generate telematics data associated with aparticular vehicle 108 (or can transmit raw or other telematics dataamong one another or to the servers 110 to process and generate thetelematics data associated with the vehicle). The telematics data can beprocessed and analyzed, for example, by the telematics devices 101, themobile devices 104, or the servers 110, or combinations of them, toidentify a safety concern associated with a user of the vehicle 108,such as a driver 150 or a passenger 152 in or at the vehicle. Onceidentified, the safety concern can be reported, for example, through asafety alert communicated to users of the vehicle 108, such as thedriver 150 or the passenger 152 in or at the vehicle, and to otherparticipants in the technology 100, such as an administrator of theservers 110 or a trusted third party, including a government agency, aninsurance adjuster, a ridesharing company, an analyst, a researcher, orcombinations of them, among others, accessing the technology 100 throughthe computing devices 112. In some implementations, the safety alertprompts one or more of the telematics devices 101 and the mobile devices104 at the vehicle 108 to capture, store, and transmit additionaltelematics data, including, for example, one or more of audio, image, orvideo data, or combinations of them. The technology 100, such as theserver 110, can use the additional telematics data to, for example,verify the safety concern and can present the telematics data to one ormore third parties accessing the technology through the computingdevices 112 to enable the third party to verify the safety concern anddetermine an appropriate response or action.

The following use cases provide non-limiting examples of the technology100 when deployed in a ridesharing context:

Rider Attacked During Ride:

1. Rider requests ride within the rideshare application running on therider's mobile device.2. Driver accepts the ride using the rideshare application running onthe driver's mobile device and the driver drives to rider's location.3. Rideshare application running on rider's mobile device confirms thevehicle is that of the driver who accepted the ride (by verifying thedevice identifier).4. The video tag device takes snapshot image of backseat of the vehicleusing, for example, an inward-facing camera, and sends the image over aBluetooth or WiFi network to a rideshare application running on therider's mobile device so that the rider can confirm that the technologyis working.5. The video tag device begins recording audio and video at a low rate,and stores a buffer of these streams. The video tag device takessnapshot image of the interior of the vehicle and sends to rider'smobile device.6. During the trip the rider determines that he or she is in danger andtriggers panic alert by activating a physical button on a tag device inthe vehicle or by activating a software button in the rideshareapplication on the rider's mobile device.7. A panic alert message is sent to the server and then onto thecomputing device, which may be a rideshare company's call center.8. The video tag device begins recording high-rate audio, image, andvideo data and saves the recording locally.9. Audio data and a snapshot image are sent to the rider's mobile device(the user who triggered the panic alert), the server, and the ridesharecompany's call center for confirmation of the panic alert.10. High-rate audio, image, and video data is sent via WiFi to therider's mobile device after 5 minutes of recording. The rider's mobiledevice forwards the data to the server.11. The rider's mobile device may be taken and turned off during theattack, but after panic button is triggered.

Rider Driven Off-Route and Attacked:

1. Rider requests ride within the rideshare application running on therider's mobile device.2. Driver accepts the ride using the rideshare application running onthe driver's mobile device and the driver drives to rider's location.3. Rideshare application running on rider's mobile device confirms thevehicle is that of the driver who accepted the ride (by verifying thedevice identifier).4. The video tag device takes snapshot image of backseat of the vehicleusing, for example, an inward-facing camera, and sends the image over aBluetooth or WiFi network to a rideshare application running on therider's mobile device so that the rider can confirm that the technologyis working.5. The video tag device begins recording audio and video at a low rate,and stores a buffer of these streams. The video tag device takessnapshot image of the interior of the vehicle and sends to rider'smobile device.6. Rider is driven off-route, but their alertness is impaired(asleep/intoxicated) so they cannot activate the panic alert button.7. Rideshare application running on driver's mobile device detects thatthat vehicle is going off-route via geo-fencing features and triggers apanic alert.8. Panic alert message is sent to the server and to the ridesharecompany's call center.9. The video tag device begins recording high-rate audio, image, andvideo data and saves the data locally.10. Audio data and a snapshot image are sent to the rider's mobiledevice (the user who triggered the panic alert), the server, and therideshare company's call center for confirmation of the panic alert.11. High-rate audio, image, and video data is sent via WiFi to therider's mobile device after 5 minutes of recording. The rider's mobiledevice forwards the data to the server.12. The rider's mobile device may be taken and turned off during theattack, but after panic button is triggered.

To produce the telematics data used to identify one or more safetyconcerns at the vehicle 108, each telematics device 101 can includesensors 160 to detect and measure raw telematics data at the vehicle 108and sensor modules 162 to process, for example, the raw telematics datato generate telematics data associated with the vehicle 108. We use theterm “module” broadly to include, for example, any code, program,firmware, software object, or other software device or arrangement thatcan be executed by a processor to perform one or more activities,functions, or facilities.

Generally, each telematics device 101 may include any number of sensors160 and sensor modules 162 to detect, measure, and process telematicsdata related to a state of a vehicle or a state or behavior of a user ofthe vehicle, or a combination of them, such as one or moreaccelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, inertial measurement units(IMUs), speed sensors, position sensors, such as a Global PositioningSystem (GPS), barometric sensors, weight sensors, engine sensors,alternator sensors, vibration sensors, voltage sensors, oxygen sensors,biometric sensors, electronic control unit (ECU) devices, image sensors,or audio sensors, or combinations of them, among others. Each telematicsdevice 101 can also include memory 164 and one or more processors 166 toprocess and store data, such as the telematics data, in the memory 164,as well as a communications interface 168 to enable wired or wirelesscommunications with other components or devices of the technology 100,such as one or more other telematics devices 101, one or more mobiledevices 104, or one or more servers 110 (or through a mobile device tothe one or more telematics devices or servers).

In some cases, the telematics devices 101 may be or include anaftermarket telematics device connected, for example, through anOn-Board Diagnostics (OBD) port 114 of the vehicle 108 or an OEMtelematics device installed during manufacture of the vehicle 108. Insome examples, the telematics devices 101 may be a tag device placed oraffixed in (but not electrically connected to) the vehicle 108, such astags of the kind described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/529,812, entitled “System and Method for Obtaining Vehicle TelematicsData,” filed Oct. 31, 2014 (in some implementations, marketed, forexample, as the DriveWell Tag™ by Cambridge Mobile Telematics ofCambridge, Mass.) the entire contents of which are incorporated byreference. In some implementations, the telematics device 101 mayinclude or be in the form of a mobile device, a wearable device, oranother device that is portable, or combinations of them, and may notnecessarily be a telematics device dedicated to a particular vehicle.The telematics devices 101 can be battery-powered, connected into theelectrical system of the vehicle 108, or both. In some instances, thetelematics devices 101 can be mounted in or on the vehicle, for example,in a location that is accessible to one or more occupants of thevehicle. In some cases, the telematics devices 101 can be untetheredfrom the vehicle 108 such that it is moveable within or outside of thevehicle.

In some implementations, the telematics devices 101 may be or includeone or more tag devices 102. Referring to FIG. 2, each tag device 102can include sensors 200 to detect and measure raw telematics data at thevehicle 108 and sensor modules 202 to process, for example, the rawtelematics data to generate telematics data associated with the vehicle108. Generally, each tag device 102 may include any number of sensors200 and sensor modules 202 to detect, measure, and process telematicsdata related to a state of a vehicle or a state or behavior of a user ofthe vehicle, or a combination of them, such as one or moreaccelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, IMUS, speed sensors, positionsensors, such as a GPS, barometric sensors, weight sensors, enginesensors, alternator sensors, vibration sensors, voltage sensors, oxygensensors, biometric sensors, ECU devices, image sensors, or audiosensors, or combinations of them, among others. Each tag device 102 canalso include memory 204 and one or more processors 206 to process andstore data, such as the telematics data 212, in the memory 204, as wellas a communications interface 208 to enable wired or wirelesscommunications with other components or devices of the technology 100,such as one or more other telematics devices 101, one or more mobiledevices 104, or one or more servers 110 (or through a mobile device tothe one or more telematics devices or servers).

Each tag device 102 can store executable instructions associated with apanic determination module or other safety module 210 to detect orrecognize one or more panic situations or other safety concerns. We usethe term “panic determination module” or “safety concern determinationmodule” broadly to include, for example, any code, program, firmware,software object, or other software device or arrangement, orcombinations of them, that can be executed by one or more processors,integrated circuits, or other hardware devices included in thetechnology 100 to, among other things, process telematics data to detecta panic situation or other safety concern and to generate a panic alertor other safety alert in response. Generally, a panic determinationmodule or safety concern determination module can be configured todetect one or any number of panic situations or types of panicsituations or other safety concerns, including, for example, activationof a physical panic button, activation of a software panic button, avoiced utterance or command, a loud noise, an impact, a crash, aviolation by the vehicle of a geographical boundary, distracted driving,an inertial event, a road hazard, close proximity of the vehicle toanother vehicle or object, incapacity of a driver or occupant of thevehicle, a detection of a physical altercation in the vehicle, adetection that one or more safety components were tampered with, andcombinations of them, among others. Although specific examples of panicdetermination modules or safety concern determination modules aredescribed with reference to certain devices or components of thetechnology 100, the techniques described here can be applied to, by, orin any device or component of the technology 100, or any combination ofcomponents or devices, including, but not limited to, a telematicsdevice 101, such as a tag device 102 or a video tag device 106, a mobiledevice 104, a server 110, and a computing device 112.

For instance, the panic determination module 210 can generate andprocess telematics data produced or otherwise obtained by the tag device102 to detect or recognize a panic situation or other safety concern atthe vehicle 108. After (or while) detecting or recognizing a panicsituation, the panic determination module 210 can generate a panic alertor other safety alert to one or more devices in the safety technology100, such as another telematics device 101, including the video tagdevice 106, the mobile device 104, or the server 110, or combinations ofthem. For example, in some cases, the tag device 102 can include a panicbutton 116 or other safety concern button, which may be a physicalbutton included in the tag device, a physical button coupled to the tagdevice, a software button presented on a display included in the tagdevice, or a software button presented on a display of another device inthe vehicle, or combinations of them. Activation of the panic button 116can cause the panic determination module 210 executing on the tag device102 to generate a panic alert or other safety alert to one or more otherdevices or components in the technology 100. The panic alert or othersafety alert can be silent or invisible, or in other respects unapparentto occupants of the vehicle to avoid escalating the panic situation. Forexample, in some cases the panic alert or other safety alert does notcause any components in the technology 100 to generate an audible noiseor visible indicator in response.

In some implementations, the safety technology 100 can include multipletag devices 102 to provide multiple panic buttons 116 in the vehicle108. In this way, the technology 100 can provide vehicle users withgreater access to a panic button 116 should a user wish to indicate apanic situation or other safety concern. In some cases, the technology100 can include a tag device 102 and panic button 116 for each occupantof the vehicle 108, such as a driver 150 and one or more passengers 152of the vehicle. In some cases, the technology 100 can include a tagdevice 102 and a panic button 116 for each group of occupants of thevehicle 108, such as a group based on a role of the occupant (forexample, a driver role or a passenger role), a group based on a locationof the occupant in the vehicle (for example, a group of occupants seatedin the front seats of the vehicle or a group of occupants seated in therear seats of the vehicle), or combinations of them, among others. Eachof the tag devices 102 can be placed or affixed in the vehicle such thatthe panic button 116 is accessible by the occupant (or group ofoccupants) while the occupant remains seated. Similarly, the panicbutton 116 can include one or more identifying markers, such as a LEDindicator, a bright color, or a panic symbol, or combinations of them,among others, to allow the occupant to easily locate the button in apanic situation or in case of another safety concern.

The tag device 102 may communicate telematics data (which may be orinclude a panic alert) to other components or devices of the technology100, including one or more other telematics devices 101, such as a videotag device 106, one or more mobile devices 104, or one or more servers110 (or through a mobile device to the one or more telematics devices orservers). In some cases, the tag device 102 can include a unique deviceidentifier 214 stored in the memory 204 and included in eachcommunication with the other components or devices of the technology100. The server 110 can store (for example, in a database 130) a mappingof the device identifier 214 for each tag device 102 to other user andvehicle information, such as a particular vehicle 108 associated withthe tag device or a particular user of the technology 100 associatedwith the tag device, or both, among others. In this manner, the server110 and the other devices and components of the technology 100 canassociate the tag device 102 and its telematics data with a particularvehicle 108 or a particular user of the technology 100, or combinationsof them, among others.

Referring to FIG. 3, the mobile device 104 may include hardware andsoftware components, such as one or more processors 300, a memory 302, acommunication interface 304, one or more sensors 306, one or more sensormodules 308, an application module 310, a display 314, and a panicdetermination module 316, among others. In some implementations, themobile device 104 may be a portable computing device, such as asmartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a wearable computingdevice, or another mobile device or personal computing device, orcombinations of them, brought into the vehicle 108 temporarily, forexample, by an occupant of the vehicle. In some cases, the mobile device104 may be or include an OEM or aftermarket device that is installed orotherwise affixed within the vehicle.

In some implementations, the mobile device 104 may establishcommunications with one or more components or devices in the technology100, such as the telematics devices 101 and the servers 110. Forexample, in some cases a communication channel 118 may be establishedbetween the mobile device 104 and the tag device 102. In some cases, acommunication channel 120 may be established between the mobile device104 and the video tag device 106. Each of the communication channels 118and 120 can be a wired or wireless communication channel, such asBluetooth, WiFi, cellular, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID),Near-Field Communication (NFC), or combinations of them, among others.In some cases, the mobile device 104 may establish a communicationchannel 126 with a network 128 to communicate with one or more servers110 over the network. The network 128 may be the Internet, a cellularnetwork, a WiFi network, a local area network, a wide area network, asatellite network, or any other suitable data transmission network, orcombinations of them. In this way, the mobile device 104 can send andreceive telematics data (which may be or include a panic alert) to andfrom one or more components or devices in the technology 100, orotherwise facilitate communications among the components or devices,such as the telematics devices 101 and the servers 110, among others.

In some cases, the mobile device 104 can include a unique deviceidentifier 318 stored in the memory 302 and included in eachcommunication with the other components or devices of the technology100. The server 110 can store (for example, in a database 130) a mappingof the device identifier 318 for each mobile device 104 to other userand vehicle information, such as a particular vehicle 108 associatedwith the mobile device and a particular user of the technology 100associated with the mobile device, among others, and in some instances,can associate the mobile device with one or more of the telematicsdevices 101. In this manner, the server 110 and the other devices andcomponents of the technology 100 can associate the mobile device 104 andits telematics data with a particular vehicle 108, a particular user ofthe technology 100, or a particular telematics device 101, orcombinations of them, among others.

In some cases, the mobile device 104 can be configured to establishcommunications with any of the telematics devices 101 when the mobiledevice is present at the vehicle 108. In some cases, the mobile device104 can be configured to establish communications with an associatedtelematics device 101 or set of associated telematics devices 101, suchas the telematics devices 101 corresponding to a particular ridesharingcompany, based on, for example, a mapping or association of thetelematics devices 101 and the mobile device 104 in the database 130, anidentifier broadcast by the telematics device 101 and received by themobile device 104, or combinations of them, among others. In some cases,encryption techniques can be used to prevent the mobile device 104 fromestablishing communications with or otherwise accessing the telematicsdata of non-associated telematics devices 101.

The mobile device 104 is not required to be present at the vehicle 102at all times, however, because the telematics devices 101, including thetag device 102 and the video tag device 106, can collect and store data,such as the telematics data, in memory or other storage for latertransfer to the mobile device 104 (and through the mobile device to oneor more other telematics devices or servers) when the mobile device ispresent and communicatively coupled. Furthermore, although thetelematics devices 101, such as the tag device 102 and the video tagdevice 106, are described as being separate from the mobile device 104,in some implementations the functions of the telematics devices 101 andthe mobile device 104 are combined by, for example, using one or moresensors 306 and sensor modules 308 built into the mobile device 104,such as GPS, accelerometers, magnetometers, barometers, gyroscopes,IMUS, cameras, or microphones, among others. In this manner, the mobiledevice 104 can produce or otherwise obtain raw telematics data and canprocess the raw telematics data to generate telematics data associatedwith the vehicle 108 in place of or as a supplement to the raw andprocessed data obtained and generated by the telematics devices 101.

In some implementations, an application module 310 and a panicdetermination module 316 (an example of a safety determination module)executing on the mobile device 104 can cooperate to detect a panicsituation or other safety concern at the vehicle 108 and can generate apanic alert or other safety alert in response. For example, theapplication module 310 can present a user interface 312 to a userthrough the display 314 of the mobile device 104. In some cases, theuser interface 312 can include a software panic button 400 or othersafety concern button, as shown in FIG. 4. When activated, the softwarepanic button 400 can cause the panic determination module 316 executingon the mobile device 104 and in communication with the applicationmodule 310 to generate a panic alert or other safety alert to one ormore devices or components in the technology 100.

In some implementations, the panic determination module 316 can generateand process telematics data produced by one or more sensors 306 andsensor modules 308 of the mobile device 104 (or telematics data receivedfrom another telematics device 101) to detect a panic situation or othersafety concern at the vehicle. For example, in some cases, the panicdetermination module 316 can receive and process signals from an audiosensor 320, such as a microphone of the mobile device 104, to detect apredetermined voice command associated with a panic situation, such as“Help me!” or “Hey Google, panic alert.” The voice command can be set inadvance by a user of the mobile device 104, for example, by verbally ortypographically inputting a desired command into the mobile device 104to register the command with the panic determination module 316, theapplication module 310, or both. The detection of the voice command cancause the panic determination module 316 to generate a panic alert toone or more devices or components in the technology 100, such as thetelematics devices 101 and the servers 110.

In some cases, the panic determination module 316 can process the audiosignals from the audio sensor 320 to detect a noise in the vehicle 108that exceeds a predetermined noise threshold, such as a noise greaterthan about 100 decibels (dB), a noise greater than about 105 dB, a noisegreater than about 110 dB, or another noise level associated with ahuman scream or other commotion within the vehicle 108. In response todetecting a noise that exceeds a predetermined noise threshold, thepanic determination module 316 can generate a panic alert to one or moredevices or components in the technology 100, such as the telematicsdevices 101 and the servers 110.

In some cases, the panic determination module 316 can process signalsfrom a position sensor 322, such as a GPS of the mobile device 104, todetermine a geographical position of the vehicle 108. If the vehicle 108is outside a predetermined geographical boundary, such as a boundarydefined relative to a preselected route of the safety technology 100,then the panic determination module 316 can generate a panic alert toone or more devices or components in the technology 100. For example, insome cases, a participant of the technology 100, such as a driver 150, apassenger 152, or a third party operating on a computing device 112,among others, can select a destination for the vehicle 108. One or morecomponents or devices of the technology 100 can then generate a route tonavigate the vehicle 108 or a driver of the vehicle to the selecteddestination. The one or more components or devices can generate ageographical boundary or “geo-fence” at a predefined radius, such as aquarter mile, around each point along the route. In some cases, thegeographical boundary can be generated dynamically to, for example,account for changes in the route. In some cases, the radius of thegeographical boundary can be increased or decreased at one or morepoints along the route, for example, to account for traffic density,street density, land use zoning, a speed of the vehicle 108, orcombinations of them, among others. If the panic determination module316 determines, for example, based on the signals from the positionsensor 322, that the vehicle 108 is outside the geographical boundary,then a panic alert can be generated and transmitted to one or moredevices or components in the technology 100.

In some cases, the panic determination module 316 can process signalsfrom one or more motion sensors 324 or device state sensors 326 of themobile device 104, or both, to determine if the driver of the vehicle108 is using the mobile device 104 while driving. For example, the panicdetermination module 316 can process signals from the one or more motionsensors 324, such as an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, anIMU, a barometer, or a compass, or combinations of them, to determine,for example, a speed of the vehicle 108. If the speed of the vehicle 108is greater than zero, the panic determination module 316 can determinethat the vehicle is in motion. The panic determination module 316 candetermine whether the mobile device 104 is in use by the driver, forexample, by processing the signals from the one or more motion sensors324 to detect motion, such as the speed, velocity, or acceleration, ofthe mobile device 104. If the motion of the mobile device 104 isinconsistent with the motion of the vehicle 108, then the panicdetermination module 316 can determine that the mobile device 104 is inuse. In some cases, the panic determination module 316 can processsignals from the one or more device state sensors 326 to determinewhether the mobile device 104 is in use, for example, by detecting thatthe screen of the mobile device is in an on state, by detecting that themobile device is not in a lock state, by detecting that the mobiledevice is in a call state (including a hands-free and a non-hands-freecall state), by detecting tapping or swiping on the mobile device, orcombinations of them, among others. If the driver's mobile device 104 isdetermined to be in use while the vehicle 108 is in motion, then thepanic determination module 316 can infer that the driver is distractedand can generate a panic alert.

After receiving, generating, or processing telematics data associatedwith the vehicle 108, the mobile device 104 can, in someimplementations, store the telematics data 328 in memory 302 or transmitthe telematics data to one or more other components or devices in thetechnology 100, including the telematics devices 101, such as the tagdevice 102 or the video tag device 106, and the servers 110, orcombinations of them. In some examples, the mobile device 104 cantransmit raw telematics data to the other components or devices forprocessing. In some cases, the mobile device 104 can be configured totransmit only a subset of the telematics data, such as the panic alertor other safety alert, to the other components or devices, such as oneor more of the telematics devices 101.

In some implementations, the technology 100 can include a single videotag device 106 within the vehicle 108, and the mobile device 104 of eachoccupant of the vehicle, such as the driver 150 and one or morepassengers 152, may establish a communication channel 120 with the samevideo tag device 106. In this way, one or more occupants of the vehicle108 can be participants in use of the same video tag device 106 andother components and devices of the safety technology 100, and the videotag device 106 can collect and process telematics data that is common toeach occupant of the vehicle 108. In some cases, the common telematicsdata produced by the video tag device 106 can be shared with some or allof the occupants of the vehicle 108, for example, by transmitting thedata to the mobile device 104 of each occupant or by causing the server110 to present the data to each occupant. In some implementations, thecommon telematics data can be used by one or more components or devicesof the technology 100 to make a collective determination regarding thesafety of each occupant, such as a determination of regarding theexistence of a safety concern for each occupant, a determinationregarding the veracity of the safety concern for each occupant, or both,as discussed below.

Referring to FIG. 5, the video tag device 106 can include hardware andsoftware components, such as one or more processors 500, a memory 502, acommunication interface 504, one or more sensors 506 and sensor modules508, and a speaker 510, among others. The video tag device 106 can alsoinclude a power supply 516, such as one or more batteries 518, solarpanels 520, or external power ports and circuitry 522, or combinationsof them, to provide power to the various components in the device. Insome cases, the video tag device 106 can include a multi-purpose button524 to, for example, power the video tag device 106 on or off, activatethe video tag device 106 as discussed below, and enable pairing, such asBluetooth pairing, with the device, among others.

The sensors 508 of the video tag device 106 can include one or moreimage sensors 532, such as a camera 122, and audio sensors 534, such asa microphone 124, to detect and measure image and audio signals at thevehicle 108. The image sensors 532 and audio sensors 534 can be coupledwith a corresponding image capture module 536 and an audio capturemodule 538 to capture the image and audio signals at the vehicle 108 andprocess the signals to generate image and audio data. In some cases, theimage capture module 536 can combine a sequence of image signals fromone or more of the image sensors 532 to produce video signals and dataat the vehicle 108. Generally, the video tag device 106 may include anynumber of sensors 506 and sensor modules 508 to provide signals and datarelated to a state of a vehicle or a state or behavior of a user of thevehicle, or both, such as one or more one or more accelerometers,magnetometers, gyroscopes, IMUS, speed sensors, position sensors, suchas a GPS, barometric sensors, weight sensors, engine sensors, alternatorsensors, vibration sensors, voltage sensors, oxygen sensors, biometricsensors, ECU devices, image sensors, or audio sensors, or combinationsof them, among others.

In some cases, the video tag device 106 can include a unique deviceidentifier 540 stored in the memory 502 and included in eachcommunication with the other components or devices of the technology100. In some cases, the device identifier 540 can be a media accesscontrol (MAC) address of the video tag device 106. The server 110 canreceive the device identifier 538 during, for example, activation of thevideo tag device, as discussed below. Once received, the server 110 canstore (for example, in a database 130) a mapping of the deviceidentifier 540 for each video tag device 106 to other user and vehicleinformation, such as a particular vehicle 108 associated with the videotag device and a particular user of the technology 100 associated withthe video tag device, among others, and in some instances, can associatethe video tag device with one or more of the telematics devices 101 orthe mobile devices 104. In this manner, the server 110 and the otherdevices and components of the technology 100 can associate the video tagdevice 106 and its telematics data with a particular vehicle 108, aparticular user of the technology 100, a particular telematics device101, or a particular mobile device 104, or combinations of them, amongothers.

As shown in FIG. 5, the video tag device 106 can store executableinstructions associated with a panic determination module 542 (anexample of a safety determination module) in the memory 502. In someimplementations, the panic determination module 542 can processtelematics data produced by one or more of the sensors 506 and sensormodules 508 of the video tag device 106 (or telematics data receivedfrom another telematics device 101 or a mobile device 104) to detect apanic situation at the vehicle 108 and to generate a panic alert orother safety alert in response. Generally, the panic determinationmodule 542 can detect one or any number of panic situations or types ofpanic situations or other safety concerns, including, for example,activation of a physical panic button, activation of a software panicbutton, a voiced utterance or command, a loud noise, an impact, a crash,a violation by the vehicle of a geographical boundary, distracteddriving, an inertial event, a road hazard, close proximity of thevehicle to another vehicle or object, incapacity of a driver or occupantof the vehicle, a detection of a physical altercation in the vehicle, adetection that one or more safety components were tampered with, andcombinations of them, among others. In each case, the panicdetermination module 542 can process the panic alert or other safetyalert locally within the video tag device 106, as discussed below. Forexample, in response to the alert, the panic determination module 542can cause the video tag device 106 to capture, store, and transmittelematics data, such as audio, image, and video data, or to adjust oneor more telematics data collection properties, such as the rate orresolution of data capture, or both. The panic determination module 542can store and transmit the alert to one or more devices or components inthe technology 100, such as the mobile device 104 and the server 110,among others.

In some cases, the panic determination module 542 can receive andprocess signals from one or more audio sensors 534, such as themicrophone 124, to detect a predetermined voice command associated witha panic situation and can generate a panic alert or other safety alertin response. For instance, the panic determination module 542 can storea signal, such as an audio signal, associated with the predeterminedvoice command, such as “Help me!” or “Hey Google, panic alert.” Thepredetermined voice command and its corresponding signal can bepreinstalled in the video tag device 106, or can be set in advance by auser of the video tag device, for example, by verbally inputting thevoice command to the device. In some cases, the video tag device 106 canreceive one or more predetermined voice commands (and signals) from amobile device 104 when the two devices are communicatively coupled. Todetect a voice command, the panic determination module 542 can comparethe signal associated with the predetermined voice command with thesignals from the audio sensors 534 to detect patterns or signatures inthe signals from the audio sensors that match patterns or signatures inthe predetermined voice command signal. If a match or a substantialmatch is found, the panic determination module 542 can determine thatthe voice command was uttered within the vehicle 108 and can generate apanic alert.

In some cases, audio signals from the one or more audio sensors 534,such as the microphone 124, can be processed by the panic determinationmodule 542 to detect a noise in the vehicle 108 that exceeds apredetermined noise threshold, such as a noise greater than about 100decibels (dB), a noise greater than about 105 dB, a noise greater thanabout 110 dB, or another noise level associated with a human scream orother commotion within the vehicle 108. The panic determination module542 can generate a panic alert in response to detecting a noise thatexceeds a predetermined noise threshold.

In some cases, the panic determination module 542 can process signalsfrom a position sensor, such as GPS of the video tag device 106 oranother device, to determine a geographical position of the vehicle 108.If the vehicle 108 is outside a predetermined geographical boundary,such as a boundary defined relative to a preselected route of thevehicle 108, then the panic determination module 542 can generate apanic alert or other safety alert. For example, in some cases, aparticipant of the technology 100, such as a driver 150, a passenger152, or a third party operating on a computing device 112, among others,can select a destination for the vehicle 108. One or more components ordevices of the technology 100 can then generate a route to navigate thevehicle 108 or a driver of the vehicle to the selected destination. Theone or more components or devices can generate a geographical boundaryor “geo-fence” at a predefined radius, such as a quarter mile, aroundeach point along the route. In some cases, the geographical boundary canbe generated dynamically to, for example, account for changes in theroute. In some cases, the radius of the geographical boundary can beincreased or decreased at one or more points along the route, forexample, to account for traffic density, street density, land usezoning, a speed of the vehicle 108, or combinations of them, amongothers. If the panic determination module 542 determines, for example,based on the signals from a position sensor, that the vehicle 108 isoutside the geographical boundary, then a panic alert can be generated.

In some cases, the panic determination module 542 can process signalsfrom one or more of the image sensors 532, the audio sensors 534, andother sensors 506 to detect a crash of the vehicle 108 or an impactassociated with the vehicle 108, and can generate a panic alert inresponse to the crash or impact. For example, the panic determinationmodule 542 can use process signals from the image sensors 532 to detectone or more images of the vehicle 108 impacted with another vehicle orobject, an image of the vehicle rolling over or otherwise tipping on itsside or roof, or an image of the vehicle facing the wrong direction inthe road, or combinations of them, among others. In some cases, thepanic determination module 542 can compare one or more successive imagesto detect new damage to the vehicle to infer that the vehicle wasinvolved in a crash or impact. The panic determination module 542 cananalyze audio signals from the audio sensors 534 to detect patterns orsignatures in the signals, such as those associated with glassshattering, tires skidding, or plastic or steel deforming, among others,that are indicative of a vehicle crash or impact. Similarly, in somecases, the panic determination module 542 can process signals from oneor more sensors 506 to detect inertial signatures indicative of a crash,impact, or other inertial event at the vehicle 108, such as braking,accelerating, cornering, swerving, or drifting of the vehicle 108, andcan generate a panic alert if the inertial signature is indicative of acrash or if the magnitude of the inertial event exceeds a predeterminedthreshold.

In some cases, the panic determination module 542 can process signalsfrom one or more sensors 506 to detect whether the vehicle 108 is inclose proximity to another vehicle or is traveling toward an object inthe road. For example, in some implementations, the video tag device 106can include an outward-facing camera positioned to capture images of anarea exterior to the vehicle, such as the road, and the panicdetermination module 542 can analyze the image data produced by theoutward-facing camera to detect that the vehicle 108 is in closeproximity to another vehicle or is traveling toward an object in theroad, and can generate a panic alert in response. In some cases, thepanic determination module 542 can process signals from one or more ofthe image sensors 532, the audio sensors 534, and one or more othersensors 506, such as a position sensor and an accelerometer, to detectwhether the vehicle 108 is in a high-risk area of the road, such as adangerous intersection, or has left the main area of the road, such asby driving onto a shoulder of the road or driving off the road. Forexample, the panic determination module 542 can detect a stop of thevehicle 108 for a certain period of time at a position associated with adangerous intersection followed by an acceleration of the vehicle toinfer that the vehicle is at a dangerous intersection, and can generatea panic alert in response. In some implementations, the panicdetermination module 542 can process image signals from anoutward-facing camera to determine whether the vehicle 108 is at anintersection or another high-risk area of the road, and can generate apanic alert. In some cases, the panic determination module 542 canprocess image signals, audio signals, or other sensors signals, todetermine whether the vehicle 108 is on a shoulder of the road or hasdriven off the road, and can generate a panic alert.

In some cases, the panic determination module 542 can process signalsfrom one or more sensors 506, such as image signals of an interior ofthe vehicle captured by the camera 122, to detect whether an occupant ofthe vehicle 108 is incapacitated, for example, by analyzing the headpose of the occupant, the body posture of the occupant, or determiningwhether the occupant's eyes are open, among others, and can generate apanic alert in response. Similarly, the panic determination module 542can use image data from the camera 122 to determine if the driver of thevehicle 108 is distracted while driving, such as by analyzing the headpose, the body posture, and the eyes of the driver, and can generate apanic alert in response.

In some cases, one or more of the components or devices of thetechnology 100, such as the telematics devices 101 or the mobile device104, can include tamper resistance features. Because tampering canundermine the safety features provided by the technology 100, thecomponents and devices in the technology can be configured to detecttampering and can generate a panic alert in response. For example, insome cases, the panic determination module 542 can process image signalsfrom the image sensors 532 to detect whether the camera is covered orotherwise obfuscated, and can generate a panic alert in response. Insome cases, the panic determination module 542 can detect whether themobile device 104 or another telematics device 101, or both, is turnedoff or otherwise disabled during use, for example by detecting adisconnection of the device, and can generate a panic alert in response.Similarly, in some cases the mobile device 104 or another telematicsdevice 101, or both, can detect (for example, through a panicdetermination module 210 or 316) whether the video tag device 106 isturned off or otherwise disabled during use and can generate a panicalert in response. In some implementations, one or more of thetelematics devices 101 and the mobile devices 104 can include a sensoror switch that is activated upon physical tampering with the device, andthe device can generate a panic alert in response. In someimplementations, the panic determination modules 210, 316, and 542 caninclude a software mechanism, such as code, firmware, or anothersoftware object, that can detect whether the software executing on thedevice has been altered, and can generate a panic alert in response.

In some implementations, the panic determination module 542 can processpanic alerts or other safety alerts generated locally within the videotag device 106 or received from another telematics device 101, a mobiledevice 104, or a server 110, or a combination of them. In some cases,the panic determination module 542 can cause the video tag device 106 tostore the panic alert and transmit the panic alert to another telematicsdevice 101, the mobile device 104, or the server 110, or combinations ofthem. In some cases, the panic determination module 542 can cause thevideo tag device 106 to capture, store (for example, as telematics data544 in the memory 502), and transmit telematics parameters andtelematics data, such as audio, image, and video data, in response tothe panic alert or other safety alert. For example, in someimplementations, the video tag device 106 can capture one or moresnapshot images of the interior or exterior or both of the vehicle 108in response to the alert, and can transmit the snapshot images, alongwith previously recorded audio data or other telematics data, to anothertelematics device 101, the mobile device 104, or the server 110, orcombinations of them, in real time or upon request. The video tag device106 can continue capturing and storing audio, image, and video data atthe vehicle 108 for a predetermined period of time, such as 5 minutes,after receiving the alert, and can transmit the audio, image, and videodata to another telematics device 101, the mobile device 104, or theserver 110 in real time, after the predetermined period of time expires,or in response to a request from the mobile device 104 or the server110, among others.

The panic determination module 542 can cause the video tag device 106 toadjust one or more telematics data capture properties, such as the rateor resolution of data capture, in response to the received panic alertor other safety alert. For example, in some cases, the panicdetermination module 542 can provide one or more signals (for example,using the one or more processors 500) to the audio sensors 532 or theaudio capture module 536, or both, to cause the video tag device 106 torecord high rate audio signals and data, such as audio sampled at about8 kHz or greater, at about 11 kHz or greater, at about 16 kHz orgreater, at about 22 kHz or greater, at about 32 kHz or greater, or atabout 44 kHz or greater, in response to the panic alert or other safetyalert. In some cases, the panic determination module 542 can provide oneor more signals to the image sensors 530 or the image capture module534, or both, to cause the video tag device 106 to record high ratevideo signals and data, such as video sampled at about 15 Hz (15 framesper second (fps)) or greater or about 30 Hz (30 fps) or greater, for thepredetermined period of time after receiving the panic alert or othersafety alert. The panic determination module 542 can provide one or moresignals to others sensors 506 or sensor modules 508, or both, to adjustother telematics data capture properties in response to the panic alertor other safety alert. Although processing panic alerts and other safetyalerts is described with reference to the video tag device 106 and thepanic determination module 542, the techniques described here can beapplied to, by, or in any device or component of the technology 100, orany combination of components or devices, including, but not limited to,another telematics device 101, such as the tag device 102, a mobiledevice 104, a server 110, and a computing device 112.

FIGS. 6a and 6b are front and back perspective views of a video tagdevice 106. The video tag device 106 includes a housing 650 which cancontain various components of the device, such as one or moreprocessors, a memory, a communication interface, one or more sensors,and a speaker, among others. The housing 650 includes one or moreventilation holes 600 to allow for convection and sound transmission toand from the various components of the video tag device 106. The housing650 includes a multi-purpose button 524 to, for example, power the videotag device 106 on or off, activate the video tag device 106 as discussedbelow, and enable pairing, such as Bluetooth pairing, with the device,among others. In some implementations, the button 524 can be surroundedby a light diffuser 525 to indicate the status of the video tag device106, such as whether the device is powered on, whether the device isfunctioning properly, or whether the device is connected to anothertelematics device 101 or the mobile device 104, or combinations of them.

The housing 650 includes one or more adhesive strips 602 to affix thevideo tag device 106 to, for example, an inside surface of a windshieldof a vehicle. Each of the adhesive strips 602 can include a permanent orsemi-permanent adhesive or epoxy to prevent tampering or unauthorizedremoval of the video tag device 106. The housing 650 can contain one ormore batteries, such as lithium-ion (Li+) batteries, to provide power tothe various components of the video tag device 106. To recharge thebatteries, the video tag device 106 includes one or more solar panels520 affixed within a recess of the housing 650 and configured to receivesunlight or other light from outside the vehicle through the windshield.In some implementations, the video tag device 106 can include anexternal power port 522, such as a USB-C port, and corresponding powercircuitry to allow for a wired power connection to, for example,recharge the batteries or to provide system power when the charge of theone or more batteries are low or are not present. In some cases, theport 522 can be used for data transfer to or from the video tag device.

In some implementations, the video tag device 106 includes a moveablestalk 652 that extends from a bottom of the housing 650 along a firstaxis 604. We use the term “stalk” broadly to include a component,device, part, or other object that extends, stems, or otherwiseprotrudes from another object. In some cases, a stalk can be elongatedor oblong with its shorter dimension being narrower than the width ofthe other object. The moveable stalk 652 can be rotatably coupled to thehousing 650 by a pivot mechanism 606. In this way, the stalk 652 can berotated about a second axis 608 that is generally perpendicular to thefirst axis 604. In some implementations, the pivot mechanism 606 caninclude one or more O-rings to provide friction that holds the pivotmechanism 606 in place after the position of the moveable stalk 652 isset by a user. In some cases, the material of the one or more O-ringscan be selected to have a certain hardness, such as a Shore A hardnessof about 75 to about 90, to minimize movement of the pivot mechanism 606due to hysteresis and vibration in the vehicle. In some implementations,the pivot mechanism 606 can include an electromechanical actuatorconfigured to move the stalk about the second axis of the pivotmechanism 606 relative to the housing in response to signals from, forexample, a processor of the video tag device 106. The processor mayprovide the signals to cause the actuator to move the stalk about thesecond axis in response to, for example, a remote control signal from auser of the video tag device 106, a determination that the stalk shouldbe moved to optimize the view of one or more cameras on the stalk, or adetermination that the stalk should be moved to focus the view of one ormore cameras on the stalk on a particular point, among others.

The movable stalk 652 can include one or more cameras, including one ormore inward-facing cameras 610 (that is, a camera generally facing theinside of the vehicle when the video tag device is mounted on thewindshield) positioned at a lower end 612 of a rear side 614 of thestalk 652 to capture images, video, and audio of an interior 616 of avehicle, and one or more outward-facing cameras 618 positioned at theupper end 620 on the opposite side 622 of the stalk 652 to captureimages and video of an area exterior 624 to the vehicle, such as theroad 626, as shown in FIG. 7a . Positioning the outward-facing camerahigher than the inward-facing camera improves the direction of view 628of each of them for its viewing objective. Rotating the stalk about thesecond axis can improve the angle of view 630 and field of view 632 foreither or both of the inward-facing camera and the outward-facingcamera. In particular, the angle of view and field of view of theinward-facing camera can be matched to the interior of the vehicle toimprove the view of both the front seats and rear seats of the vehicle.

In some implementations, the inward-facing camera 610 can be an infrared(IR) camera, and the video tag device 106 can include an IR illuminator611, such as an IR light-emitting diode (LED), to illuminate the fieldof view of the camera 610. In some implementations, the outward-facingcamera 618 can be an IR camera or a color camera. In some cases, theinward-facing camera 610 or the outward-facing camera 618, or both, caninclude a wide-angle lens. A connector, such as a flexible printedcircuit board (PCB), can provide an electrical power and data connectionbetween the housing 650 and the stalk 652.

In some cases, at least a portion of the stalk 652, such as the portionthat houses the inward-facing camera 610, can be rotatable about thefirst axis 604 to cause the inward-facing camera 610 to pan within theinterior of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 7b . In this way, theinward-facing camera 610 can provide a 360-degree view of the interiorof the vehicle and the exterior of the vehicle as seen through thewindows of the vehicle. In some cases, the stalk 652 can include anactuator configured to move the rotatable portion of the stalk 652 aboutthe first axis 604 in response to signals from, for example, a processorof the video tag device 106. In some implementations, the inward-facingcamera 610 or the outward-facing camera 618, or both, can be configuredto zoom in or out in response to signals from a processor of the videotag device 106.

The moveable stalk 652 can include an indicator 619, such as amulti-color LED and a light diffuser. The indicator 619 may be on thesame side as the outward-facing camera 618 so that the indicator isviewable from the outside of a vehicle when the video tag device 106 ismounted on a windshield. A processor of the video tag device 106 canprovide one or more signals to the indicator 619 to cause the indicatorto display a light or a selected color of light, for example, to allow auser to locate the vehicle 108.

Various modifications to the video tag device 106 are possible. Forexample, in some implementations, the stalk 652 can extend from a top ora side of the housing 650. In some cases, the stalk 652 can extend fromthe housing 650 at an angle such that the first axis 604 is at an angleto the second axis 608. In some cases, at least a portion of the stalk652, such as the portion that houses the inward-facing camera 610, canbe extendable and retractable along the first axis 604 to, for example,change the vertical position of the inward-facing camera 610 (or theoutward-facing camera 618 or both). The extension and retraction of thestalk 652 can be manual or automatic, such as by an electromechanicalactuator, or both. In some implementations, the video tag device 106 caninclude components in addition to those described here, such as adisplay for presenting a real-time view of the inward-facing camera orthe outward-facing camera, or another user interface, or combinations ofthem. In some cases, the components described as being within thehousing 650 can included within the stalk 652 (or vice versa).

Referring again to FIGS. 1a and 1b , the video tag device 106 cantransmit telematics data, including a panic alert or other safety alertand the audio, image, and video signals and data generated in responseto the alert, and combinations of them, to another telematics device101, a mobile device 104, or a server 110, or through the mobile device104 to the other telematics device 101 or the server 110, orcombinations of them. In some cases, the video tag device 106 cantransmit the telematics data to the mobile device 104 that generated ortransmitted the panic alert or other safety alert. After receiving orotherwise obtaining the telematics data, the mobile device 104 can storethe telematics data locally or transmit 126 the telematics data to aserver 110 (or another telematics device 101) over the network 128, orboth. In some cases, the mobile device 104 may queue the transmission ofthe telematics data until the mobile device connects to a certain typeof network, such as a WiFi network, to avoid cellular data usage.

The server 110 (or the telematics devices 101 or the mobile device 104,or combinations of them) may process the telematics data to, forexample, detect a panic situation or other safety concern, verify apanic alert or other safety alert, detect a vehicle crash, reconstruct avehicle crash, determine driver behavior, confirm operation of thesafety technology 100, or verify participants of the technology 100,among others, and combinations of them. The server 110 may store thetelematics data, along with other information about the participants,components, and devices in the technology 100, and associations amongthem, in a database 130 that can communicate with the server 110. Thedatabase 130 may be implemented using one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable storage mediums including, but not limited to, harddisk drives, solid state drives, optical storage drives, or combinationsof them.

As shown in FIG. 8, the server 110 may include hardware and softwarecomponents, such as one or more processors 800, a memory 802, and acommunication interface 804, which are interconnected by a data bus 806.The memory 802 can be any non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium and may store computer-readable instructions executable by theprocessors 800. The memory 802 may store executable instructionsassociated with a panic determination module 808, a panic alertverification module 810, a crash reconstruction module 812, a driverbehavior module 814, and other modules, to enable the server 110 orother components and devices to carry out the techniques described here.

The server 110 or other components and devices can use the communicationinterface 804 to transmit and receive raw or processed data or both,such as the telematics data, including the panic alert data and theaudio, image, and video data, among other information, to and from othercomponents or devices of the technology 100. For instance, the server110 or other devices or components may transmit or receive data to orfrom the database 130 for storage purposes, to or from the telematicsdevices 101, such as the tag device 102 and the video tag device 106, orthe mobile device 104 using the network 128, or to or from a computingdevice 112 using a network 132, which may be the Internet or any othersuitable data transmission network. The server 110 can provide thetelematics devices 101, the mobile device 104, or the computing device112, or combinations of them with software or an interface, such as anapplication programming interface (API) or a web service, which allowsfor visualization, interaction, or further processing of the data, forexample.

In some implementations, the panic determination module 808 (an exampleof a safety determination module) of the server 110 can process thetelematics data to detect a panic situation or other safety concern andgenerate a panic alert or other safety alert using any of the techniquesdiscussed here. The server 110 can then transmit the panic alert to thevideo tag device 106 or another component or device to cause the deviceto capture, store, or transmit (and combinations of them) telematicsdata, such as the audio, image, or video data, or combinations of them,or to adjust one or more telematics data collection properties, such asthe rate or resolution of data capture, or both. In some cases, theserver 110 (or another component or device of the technology 100 orcombinations of them) can transcode the audio, image, or video data, orcombinations of them, before storage or transmission.

In some cases, such as those in which a panic alert has been generatedin the technology 100, the panic alert verification module 810 canverify the panic alert or other safety alert by, for example, processingthe telematics data generated in response to the alert to confirm theexistence of the panic situation or other safety concern. In someimplementations, the panic alert verification module 810 can applymachine learning or artificial intelligence techniques to provideaccurate verification of the panic alert and reduce the chance of falsepositives. The panic alert verification module 810 may cause the server110 to provide a user interface on a computing device 112, which mayinclude one or more computing devices or servers, or both, associatedwith a participant of the technology 100, to display the telematics dataand other information to the participant of the technology 100 forverification or other review of the panic alert. For example, in somecases, the panic alert verification module 810 can present a userinterface on a computing device 112 associated with a trusted thirdparty, such as an automotive safety organization, an insurance company,a ridesharing company, an emergency service, a call center, an analyst,a researcher, a host of the technology, or combinations of theseparticipants. In some cases, the panic alert verification module 810 cancreate one or more queues of panic alerts for review or analysis by athird party, and can notify the third party when a panic alert is addedto the queue. In this way, the panic alert and its associated telematicsdata can be presented to a trusted third party who may verify the panicsituation and determine an appropriate response, such as to contact oneor more occupants of the vehicle or to dispatch one or more emergencyresponders. In some cases, the third party, such as an insurer, can usethe presented panic alert and its associated telematics data to estimatedamages to the vehicle 108 or another vehicle, estimate injuries to auser of the vehicle 108 or a user of another vehicle, determine fault ofa vehicle crash, determine a cost of insurance for the vehicle 108 orthe driver of the vehicle 108, identify fraudulent insurance claims, oridentify high risk roads or routes, or combinations of them, amongothers.

For example, FIGS. 9a and 9b illustrate a user interface 900 forpresenting the telematics data and other information associated with apanic alert or other safety alert. The user interface 900 may beprovided by the server 110 to, for example, a computing device 112 or amobile device 104 associated with a participant of the technology 100.As shown in FIG. 9a , the user interface 900 includes a searchable listof panic alerts or other safety alerts 902 associated with a user 904,such as a driver 150, a passenger 152, or a third party reviewing orresponding to a panic alert, including a government agency, an insuranceadjuster, a ridesharing company, an emergency service, a call center, ananalyst, a researcher, or a host of the technology 100, or combinationsof them, among others. The user interface 900 can include variousinformation about each panic alert 902 in the list, such as an ID 906 ofthe panic alert, a role 908 of the user who triggered the panic alert(e.g., rider or driver), a date and time 910 that the panic alert wasgenerated, a username 912 of the user who triggered the panic alert, auser ID 914 of the user who triggered the panic alert, a type of vehicle916 associated with the panic alert, and a unique device identifier 540,such as a MAC address, of the video tag device 106 or other telematicsdevice 101 associated with the panic alert, and combinations of them.

After selecting a panic alert 902, the user 904 is shown a userinterface 920 containing additional details and telematics dataassociated with the panic alert or other safety alert. For instance, theuser interface 920 includes a snapshot image 922 captured at the time ofthe panic alert by, for example, an inward-facing camera of the videotag device 106. In some cases, the user interface 920 can include theaudio 924 and the video 926 captured by the video tag device 106 for apredetermined period of time (e.g., 5 minutes) after the panic alert wasgenerated. The user interface 920 can include playback features to allowthe user 904 to listen to the audio 924 or watch the video 926 or bothdirectly within the user interface 920. In some cases, the userinterface 920 can include the geographic coordinates 928 of the vehicle108 when the panic alert was generated, as well as an indicator 930identifying the geographic coordinates on a map 932. In someimplementations, the user interface can include additional telematicsdata or other information associated with the panic alert 902, such as adescription of the panic situation that triggered the panic alert (e.g.,activation of a physical panic button on the tag device 102, activationof a software panic button on the mobile device 104, a vehicle crash,etc.), a snapshot image captured by an outward-facing camera of thevideo tag device 106, video captured by the outward-facing camera of thevideo tag device 106, a crash reconstruction, and a summary of driverbehavior, among other information, and combinations of them.

In some cases, such as those in which a panic alert or other safetyalert is generated in response to a vehicle impact or a vehicle crash,the crash reconstruction module 812 of the server 110 can process thetelematics data, including the audio, image, and video data from thevideo tag device 106, to reconstruct the vehicle impact or the vehiclecrash. For example, the crash reconstruction module 812 can process thetelematics data to determine one or more crash metrics and otherfeatures of a crash such as those described in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/035,861, entitled “Vehicle Telematics of Vehicle Crashes,”filed Jul. 17, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated byreference. The crash reconstruction module 812 can provide a userinterface to the computing device 112 or another component in thetechnology 100 with a visual or textual description of the crash, alongwith various crash indicators, metrics, and analytics, to give insightregarding how the crash occurred, how severe the crash was, and howsignificant the vehicle damage and personal injuries are, andcombinations of them.

In some implementations, the driver behavior module 814 of the server110 can process the telematics data, including the audio, image, andvideo data from the video tag device 106, to analyze driver behavior ordriver performance or both. For example, the driver behavior module 814can process the telematics data to identify one or more risky drivingbehaviors of the driver, such as distracted driving, speeding, hardbraking, hard acceleration, tailgating, swerving, and drifting, amongothers. In some cases, the driver behavior module 814 can apply machinelearning, artificial intelligence, or behavioral science, orcombinations of them, to assess the one or more risky driving behaviorswithin the context of the road environment. The driver behavior module814 can provide a user interface to, for example, a mobile device 104 ora computing device 112 associated with the driver with a textual orvisual summary of the driver's behavior and with feedback on how thedriver might improve his or her driving performance. In someimplementations, the driver behavior module 814 can derive a score orother metric associated with the driver's performance, and can encouragethe driver to improve his or her driving score through gamification,rewards, and other engagement features.

Although the server 110 is described as processing the telematics dataassociated with the vehicle 108 to verify the panic alert, reconstruct acrash, or analyze driver behavior, other components and devices of thetechnology 100, such as the telematics devices 101, including the tagdevice 102 and the video tag device 106, the mobile device 104, or thecomputing device 112, or combinations of them, may process thetelematics data in addition to, in combination with, or instead of theserver 110 to carry out the techniques described here. Further, althoughonly one server 110, one database 130, and one computing device 112 areillustrated in FIG. 1a , the technology 100 may include any number ofcomputing devices and data storage devices (located in a single place ordistributed and) communicatively connected using any number of networks.

As shown in FIG. 10, in some examples, each step of an operationalprocess 1000 of the safety technology 100 can be carried out by varioushardware and software components of the technology 100, including thetelematics devices 101, such as the tag device 102 and the video tagdevice 106, the mobile device 104, the server 110, and the computingdevice 112, and combinations of them, among others. Although theoperational process 1000 is discussed from the context of a user of avehicle 108, such as a driver, a passenger, or another occupant of avehicle, or a person who is to become or has recently been an occupantof tehicle, the techniques described apply equally to other participantsof the technology 100.

The process 1000 can begin with registration of a user with thetechnology 100 (1002). In some implementations, the user can register anaccount with the technology using, for example, a user interfacepresented by an application module 310 executing on the user's mobiledevice 104. As shown in FIG. 11, a user interface 1100 can prompt theuser to input various user details 1102, such as an email address 1104,a username 1106, and a registration token 1108. The email address 1102can be used by the technology 100 to, for example, contact the user ifthe user experiences a panic alert or other safety alert, or recover theuser's account with the technology 100, or both. The username 1106 canbe a unique username used by the technology 100 to associate the userwith one or more components or devices in the technology, such as themobile device 104 or a telematics device 101, or both. The registrationtoken 1108 can be used by the technology 100 to associate the user withone or more participants of the technology, such as a ridesharingcompany or another third party participant, to allow the technology to,for example, report safety alerts or other data involving the user tothe associated participant and to tailor one or more user processes,functions, or interfaces, or combinations of them, among others, basedon the associated participant. Once the user inputs the requested userdetails 1102 and activates a continue button 1110, the applicationmodule 310 can cause the mobile device 104 to transmit the user's emailaddress 1104, username 1106, and registration token 1108 to the server110. The server 110 can store the user details 1102 in, for example, thedatabase 130 to complete registration of the user with the technology100. In some cases, the transmission can include a unique deviceidentifier 318 of the mobile device 104 along with the user details1102, and the server can use the device identifier 318 and one or moreof the user details 1102 to create an association between the user andthe mobile device 104 (or between the user and a telematics device 101,or both) in, for example, the database 130.

In some cases, the user can activate a video tag device 106 in thetechnology 100 (1004). In some implementations, a user interfacepresented by an application module 310 executing on the user's mobiledevice 104 can guide the user, who may be a driver of a vehicle 108,through the activation process, as shown in FIG. 12. For instance, auser interface 1200 can request that the user ensure that one or morecommunication interfaces, such as Bluetooth and WiFi communicationinterfaces, are enabled on the user's mobile device 104, and can promptthe user to activate the multi-purpose button 524 on the video tagdevice 106 to, for example, begin activation and establish a Bluetoothcommunication channel between the video tag device 106 and the mobiledevice 104. Once a Bluetooth connection is established between the videotag device 106 and the user's mobile device 104, the application module310 can present a user interface 1202 with an indication 1204 of aunique device identifier 540, such as a MAC address, of the video tagdevice 106. The user can press a confirm button 1206 to confirm that thedevice identifier 540 presented in the user interface 1202 matches thedevice identifier printed on the video tag device 106, and theapplication module 310 can cause the mobile device 104 to transmit anotification of the activation of the video tag device 106 to the server110. In some cases, the notification transmitted by the mobile device104 can include the device identifier 540 of the video tag device 106,and the server 110 can store the device identifier 540 in the database130 to complete activation. In some cases, the notification can includethe username 1106 of the user of the mobile device 104 or a deviceidentifier 318 of the mobile device 104, or both. In this way, theserver 110 can create an association among the user, the mobile device104, and the video tag device 106 in, for example, the database 130 sothat the components and devices in the technology 100 can identify panicalerts or other telematics data associated with the user, the mobiledevice 104, or the video tag device 106, or combinations of them. Insome cases, the association among the user, the mobile device 104, andthe video tag device 106 can be updated each time the mobile device 104connects to the video tag device 106 to account for changes, such as anew or different user connecting to the video tag device 106.

In some implementations, the application module 310 executing on theuser's mobile device 104 can guide the user to setup a WiFi connectionbetween the user's mobile device 104 and the video tag device 106, asshown in FIG. 13. For instance, the application module 310 can present auser interface on the user's mobile device 104 that prompts the user toselect the WiFi network of the video tag device 106 and enter thenetwork password to establish a WiFi communication channel between themobile device 104 and the video tag device 106.

Once the video tag device 106 is activated, in some implementations, thetechnology 100 can guide the physical installation of the video tagdevice 106 in the vehicle 108 (1006). The installation guide may beprovided by an application module 310 executing on a mobile device 104of the user of the video tag device 106. As shown in FIG. 14, theapplication for guiding installation can include an interactive userinterface 1400 having a reference image 1402 and a live video feed 1404.The reference image 1402 can demonstrate the view of an inward-facingcamera of the video tag device 106 when it is properly positioned on,for example, a windshield of the vehicle 108. The live video feed 1404can show the view of the inward-facing camera of the video tag device106 in real-time. In some cases, the reference image 1402 and the livefeed 1404 can show the proper and real-time view of an outward-facingcamera of the video tag device 106 instead of or in addition to theinward-facing camera view. In this way, the user interface 1400 providesfeedback that allows the user to achieve proper positioning of the videotag device 106. In some cases, the interactive user interface 1400 cancompare an image from the live video feed 1404 to the reference image1402 to determine one or more deviations from optimal positioning of thevideo tag device 106, and can include one or more visual or audibledirections that further guide the user to improve the positioning. Oncethe position of the video tag device 106 is optimized, the user canproceed 1406 to complete installation 1408.

After the user is registered (and, in some cases, after the video tagdevice 106 is activated and installed in the vehicle 108), the user canparticipate in the technology 100. However, in some cases, one or morecomponents or devices of the technology 100 at the vehicle 108 may notbe operating properly. Further, in some cases, the technology 100 maynot be able to verify the users at the vehicle 108 due to, for example,a user entering the wrong vehicle or a vehicle with the wrong driver. Ineach of these cases, the technology may be prevented from recognizingthe safety concerns of the vehicle users. Thus, to ensure safety, theactive operation of the technology 100 for a particular video tag device106 (or another telematics device 101) can be confirmed and its userscan be verified (1008). The confirmation and verification process can becarried out periodically or in response to certain events, such as eachtime a user connects, or attempts to connect, to the technology 100,each time a user or a mobile device of the user enters or comes within aproximity of a vehicle 108 having the technology, each time one or morecomponents or devices of the technology are powered on, each time thevehicle is turned on, each time the vehicle is in use, or combinationsof them, among others.

In some implementations, an application module 310 executing on a mobiledevice 104 can carry out the confirmation and verification process. Forexample, in some cases, the user is a passenger or is about to become apassenger in a vehicle 108. The application module 310 can receive orotherwise obtain a unique device identifier 540 of the video tag device106 in the vehicle 108, for example, by querying the server 110 or thedatabase 130 of the server 110 for the device identifier 540 associatedwith the vehicle 108 or the driver of the vehicle 108, among others.Once received, the application module 310 can use the device identifier540 to connect the mobile device 104 to the video tag device 106 in thevehicle 108, as shown in user interface 1500 of FIG. 15. Such aconnection may be established over a Bluetooth network, a WiFi network,or another wired or wireless network supported by both the mobile device104 and the video tag device 106. If the application module 310 issuccessful in establishing a connection between the mobile device 104and the video tag device 106 using the device identifier 540, theapplication module can determine that the users of the technology 100are verified (that is, the device identifier of the components ordevices of the technology, such as the video tag device, matches thedevice identifier stored in the database for corresponding device orcomponent). By verifying the users through connection to the video tagdevice 106 in the vehicle 108, the technology 100 can increase safetyby, for example, reducing the likelihood that a passenger is entering anunintended or unknown vehicle or the vehicle of an unintended or unknowndriver, or that an unintended or unknown passenger is entering thevehicle with the driver. The following use case provides a non-limitingexample of the verification process when the technology 100 is deployedin a ridesharing context:

1. Rider requests ride within the rideshare application running on therider's mobile device.2. Driver accepts the ride using the rideshare application running onthe driver's mobile device and the driver drives to rider's location.3. Rideshare application running on the rider's mobile device determinesthat the vehicle is not that of the driver who accepted the ride(incorrect device identifier).4. Rideshare application running on the rider's mobile device warnsrider not to enter the vehicle.5. Rider does not enter vehicle and reports issue to rideshare company(or taps a software panic button in the rideshare application).

The application module 310 can confirm the active and proper operationof the technology 100 at the vehicle 108. For example, in some cases,the application module 310 can request or otherwise obtain an image froman inward-facing (or outward-facing) camera of the video tag device 106,and can present the image on the user's mobile device 104 for userverification, as shown in user interface 1502 of FIG. 15. If the userconfirms that the image presented on the mobile device 104 matches theactual vehicle interior, the mobile application can determine that thevideo tag device 106 and the technology 100 are operational, and thatthe inward-facing camera of the video tag device 106 has an adequateview of the interior or the vehicle 108. In some cases, the mobileapplication can indicate the confirmation and verification to the userof the mobile device 104 by, for example, presenting a visual indicationon the mobile device 104, presenting an image of the interior of thevehicle on the mobile device 104, presenting an image of the interior ofthe vehicle that includes the user on the mobile device 104, or causingthe mobile device 104 or the video tag device 106 to produce an audible,user-selected chime, among others, and combinations of them. In thisway, the user can receive confirmation that the technology 100 and itscomponents are operating properly (or be warned if the technology 100 isnot operating properly). The following use case provides a non-limitingexample of the confirmation process when the technology 100 is deployedin a ridesharing context:

1. Rider requests ride within the rideshare application running on therider's mobile device.2. Driver accepts the ride using the rideshare application running onthe driver's mobile device and the driver drives to rider's location.3. Rideshare application running on rider's mobile device confirms thevehicle is that of the driver who accepted the ride (by verifying thedevice identifier).4. A part of the safety technology, for example, the video tag device isnot working properly.5. Rider enters the vehicle and does not receive an image of theinterior of the vehicle.6. Rideshare application running on the rider's mobile device warnsrider to exit the vehicle.7. Rider exits the vehicle and reports issue to rideshare company (ortaps a software panic button in the rideshare application).

If confirmation or verification process is unsuccessful, the mobileapplication can determine that the technology 100 is malfunctioning orfunctioning in a way that poses a risk to the driver or passenger. Theconfirmation or verification process can be deemed unsuccessful if, forexample, the mobile application is unable to connect the mobile device104 to the video tag device 106, either using the received deviceidentifier 540 or in general, the video tag device 106 is powered off,the video tag device 106 has a low battery, the video tag device 106 isexperiencing an over temperature condition, or if the user of the mobiledevice 104 indicates that the image of the interior of the vehicle doesnot match the actual interior of the vehicle, among others, andcombinations of them. In response to determining that the technology ismalfunctioning, the mobile application can issue a notification 1600 toa user of the mobile device 104 informing the user that the technology100 is experiencing an error, as shown in FIG. 16. The mobileapplication can cause the mobile device 104 to issue a notification ofthe error to the server 110. In some cases, the notification can includean indication of the error or fault within the technology 100. In somecases, the notification can provide a customized recommendation to theuser of the mobile device based on the error and the role of the user.For instance, if the user is a driver and the video tag device 106 isexperiencing a low battery error, the notification can identify theerror and recommend that the driver charge the video tag device 106before accepting any passengers. If the user is a passenger and thevideo tag device 106 is experiencing a low battery error, thenotification can identify the error and recommend that the passenger notenter the vehicle 108. Both such notifications could be issued for agiven error.

After detecting or receiving a connection from the mobile device 104 oranother component or device in the technology 100, the video tag device106 can begin capturing audio, image, and video data at a relatively lowrate (1010). For example, in some implementations the video tag device106 can capture audio data at a sampling rate of about 8 kHz or about 16kHz, and can capture video data at rate of about 1 Hz (1 fps). In somecases, the video tag device 106 can capture audio and video data at areduced resolution, such as 4-bit audio or 8-bit audio andstandard-definition (SD) video. The video tag device 106 can process theaudio, image, and video data locally, for example, to detect a panicsituation or other safety concern, or can send the data to anothertelematics device 101, a mobile device 104, or the server 110, orcombinations of them, in real time for processing. By reducing the rateor resolution or both of the captured audio, image, and video data, thevideo tag device 106 can reduce power consumption and can producesmaller data files that use less space to store and are less burdensometo transmit, especially over cellular networks in which data usage is aconcern.

The video tag device 106 can continue generating low rate (or lowresolution or both) audio, image, and video data until the trip in thevehicle 108 ends, or until a panic situation or other safety concern isdetected and a panic alert or other safety alert is generated inresponse (1012). We use the term “trip” broadly to include, for example,any instance of travel from an origin place to a destination place. Insome cases, a trip is such an instance involving a single transportationmode (e.g., a car) or a single role of a person being transported (e.g.,a driver) or both. As discussed above, a panic situation or other safetyconcern can be detected by one or more telematics devices 101, such as atag device 102 or a video tag device 106, a mobile device 104, a server110, or a computing device 112, or combinations of them, based on, forexample, activation of a physical panic button, activation of a softwarepanic button, a voiced utterance or command, a loud noise, an impact, acrash, a violation by the vehicle of a geographical boundary, distracteddriving, an inertial event, a road hazard, close proximity of thevehicle to another vehicle or object, incapacity of a driver or occupantof the vehicle, a detection of a physical altercation in the vehicle, adetection that one or more safety components were tampered with, andcombinations of them, among others.

If a panic situation is detected and a panic alert is generated, thepanic alert can be transmitted to the server 110 and the video tagdevice 106, among others. The processors 500 and one or more sensormodules 508, such as the image capture module 536 and audio capturemodule 538, of the video tag device 106 can cause the device to captureone or more snapshot images using an inward-facing camera oroutward-facing camera, or both, in response to the panic alert, and cantransmit the one or more images, along with previously recorded audiodata, to the server 110 (1014). In some cases, the video tag device 106can also transmit previously recorded low-rate video data or othertelematics data. The server 110 can use this audio, image, and videodata, as well as other telematics data, to verify the panic alert. Insome cases, the server 110 can transmit the data to a computing device112 for verification and analysis to determine an appropriate responseto the panic alert, such as to contact one or more occupants of thevehicle or to dispatch one or more emergency responders. In some cases,a user of the computing device 112, such as an insurer, can use theaudio, image, video, and other telematics data to estimate damages tothe vehicle 108 or another vehicle, determine fault of a vehicle crash,determine a cost of insurance for the vehicle 108 or the driver of thevehicle 108, identify fraudulent insurance claims, or identify high riskroads or routes, or combinations of them, among others.

The video tag device 106 can start capturing high-rate audio, image, andvideo data in response to the panic alert (1016). For example, theprocessors 500 and one or more sensor modules 508, such as the imagecapture module 536 and audio capture module 538, of the video tag device106 can cause the device to capture audio data sampled at about 8 kHz orgreater, at about 11 kHz or greater, at about 16 kHz or greater, atabout 22 kHz or greater, at about 32 kHz or greater, or at about 44 kHzor greater, and video data sampled at about 15 Hz (15 fps) or greater orabout 30 Hz (30 fps) or greater. In some cases, the video tag device 106can capture high resolution audio and video data, such as 16-bit audioor 24-bit audio and high-definition (HD) video in response to the alert.The video tag device 106 can continue to capture the high-rate (or highresolution) audio, image, and video data for a predetermined period oftime after receiving the panic alert, such as about 5 minutes.

The video tag device 106 can transmit the high-rate data to the server110 or other components in real time, after the predetermined period oftime expires, or in response to a request from the mobile device 104 orthe server 110, or a combination of them, among others (1018). In somecases, the video tag device 106 can store the high-rate data locally.Once received, the server 110 can use the high-rate data to verify thepanic situation and can store the data as evidence. The server 110 canprovide the high-rate data to the computing device 112 for verificationand analysis, such as through the user interface discussed withreference to FIGS. 9a and 9 b.

The safety technology described here can be applied in a number ofdifferent contexts to improve the safety of users of a vehicle andreduce risky driving behavior. For example, in some implementations thesafety technology can be deployed to monitor the safety risks exposed toor created by of a fleet of drivers, such as long-haul trucking fleets,armored truck fleets, or delivery fleets, among others. The safetytechnology can help identify dangerous drivers within a fleet so thatperformance can be improved, and can aid in discovering risky routesthat should be avoided in the future. In some instances, the safetytechnology can be used by insurance companies to promote safe driving bycustomers and gather video and audio evidence for use in claimsadjusting.

In some applications, the safety technology can be used in a ridesharingcontext. For example, a driver in a ridesharing platform may registerwith the technology 100 and may activate and install one or morecomponents or devices of the technology, such as one or more telematicsdevices 101, including the tag devices 102 and the video tag device 106,in his or her vehicle 108. The driver may then use a rideshareapplication executing on his or her mobile device 104 to connect to thetag device 102, the video tag device 106, or another telematics device101, or combinations of them. For instance, the rideshare applicationmay obtain a device identifier or other connection information for thetag device 102, the video tag device 106, or another telematics device101 that are associated with the driver from the storage of the mobiledevice 104, from a remote database associated with the rideshareapplication, or by executing one or more API calls to obtain the deviceidentifier or other connection information from the server 110, orcombinations of them. The rideshare application can then use thisinformation to connect the mobile device 104 to the tag device 102, thevideo tag device 106, or another telematics device 101, or combinationsof them, at the vehicle 108. Once connected, the driver can use therideshare application to indicate (for example, to a computing device112 associated with the ridesharing platform) that he or she is ready toreceive ride requests.

A rider who is a registered participant in the technology 100 mayrequest a ride in a rideshare application executing on his or her mobiledevice 104 and then may be paired with the driver and a correspondingvehicle. The rideshare application can then obtain a device identifieror other connection information for the tag device 102, the video tagdevice 106, or another telematics device 101 in the driver's vehicle 108by, for example, accessing a remote database associated with therideshare application or executing one or more API calls to the server110, or both, to obtain the device identifiers and other connectioninformation associated with the driver (or the vehicle, or both). Insome cases, the rideshare application can include a whitelist ofcomponents or devices of the technology 100 that are permissible toconnect to, and the application can store or otherwise include thedevice identifier or other connection information associated with thedriver in the whitelist until the trip is complete. In some cases, therideshare application executing on the driver's mobile device 104 cancause the indicator 512 of the video tag device 106 to show apredetermined color, and the rideshare application executing on therider's mobile device can notify the user to look out for a vehicle 108having an indicator with that color.

Once the driver arrives at the rider's location, the rider's mobiledevice can connect or attempt to connect to the tag device 102, thevideo tag device 106, or another telematics device 101, or combinationsof them, in the driver's vehicle 108. The connection can be attemptedbefore or after the rider enters the vehicle (or both). If theconnection is successful, the rideshare application can begin the tripfor the rider and the driver. In some cases, the rideshare applicationcan execute one or more API calls to the video tag device 106 or theserver 110, or both, to obtain an image of the interior of the driver'svehicle 108 and can present the image on the rider's mobile device 104,for example, to allow the rider to confirm that the video tag device 106and the technology 100 are operational, and that the inward-facingcamera of the video tag device 106 has an adequate view of the interiorof the vehicle 108. In some cases, the rideshare application can obtainthe image after the rider has entered the vehicle 108 so that the imagepictures the rider. In some cases, the rideshare application can causethe rider's mobile device 104 or the video tag device 106 to produce anaudible chime instead of or in addition to the image to confirm to therider that the technology 100 is operational.

During the trip, one or more of the telematics devices 101, such as thetag device 102 and the video tag device 106, and the rider's anddriver's mobile devices 104 can detect, measure, process, and generatetelematics data for the rider and the driver. In particular, the videotag device 106 can capture audio, image, and video data at the vehicle108 for the rider and driver. Under normal operations, the video tagdevice 106 can capture audio, image, and video data at a low rate or lowresolution, or both. If a panic situation or other safety concern isdetected during the trip, for example, by activation of a software panicbutton in the rideshare application or by one or more of the safetytriggers discussed above, then a panic alert or other safety alert canbe generated. The video tag device 106 can capture a snapshot image ofthe interior of the vehicle 108 and can store and transmit the imagealong with other telematics data, such as audio data, to the rideshareapplication or the server 110 or both. This data can be presented to therideshare company or another participant, for example, on a computingdevice 112 associated with the rideshare platform. The video tag device106 can record audio, image, and video data at a high rate or highresolution, or both, for a predetermined period of time in response tothe panic alert or other safety alert. The video tag device 106 canstore and transmit the data to the rideshare application (for example,to present the data to the rider or driver using the rideshareapplication) or the server 110, or both, among others, in real-time orafter the predetermined period of time expires. Once the trip ends andthe passenger exits the vehicle, the video tag device 106 can stoprecording the audio, image, and video data.

If the rideshare application executing on the rider's or driver's mobiledevice 104 cannot confirm the proper operation of the technology 100(for example, because the tag device 102, the video tag device 106, orthe technology 100, or combinations of them, are malfunctioning ormissing), then the rideshare application on the rider's mobile device104 or the driver's mobile device 104, or both, can notify therespective user of the failed confirmation. Similarly, if the rideshareapplication on the rider's or driver's mobile device 104 cannot verifythe users of the technology 100 at the vehicle 108 (for example, becausethe device identifier obtained by the rideshare application cannot beused to connect the mobile device 104 to the tag device 102 or the videotag device 106), then the rideshare application on the rider's mobiledevice 104 or the driver's mobile device 104, or both, can notify therespective user of the failed verification. In some cases, theindication of the failed confirmation or failed verification can includea recommendation to the user, such as to not enter the vehicle in thecase of the rider, or to not accept a passenger in the case of thedriver. In some cases, the rideshare application can cancel or otherwiseend the trip in response to a failed confirmation or verification.

The technology can be applied to a wide variety of use cases, a few ofwhich are discussed here.

Use Case #1: Rider and Driver are Safe Throughout the Trip

1. Rider requests ride within the rideshare application running on therider's mobile device.2. Driver accepts the ride using the rideshare application running onthe driver's mobile device and the driver drives to rider's location.3. Rideshare application running on rider's mobile device confirms thevehicle is that of the driver who accepted the ride (by verifying thedevice identifier).4. The video tag device takes snapshot image of backseat of the vehicleusing, for example, an inward-facing camera, and sends the image over aBluetooth or WiFi network to a rideshare application running on therider's mobile device so that the rider can confirm that the technologyis working.5. The video tag device begins recording audio and video at a low rate,and stores a buffer of these streams. The video tag device takessnapshot image of the interior of the vehicle and sends to rider'smobile device.6. The rider and driver are safe during the ride.7. The rider arrives at correct destination and is dropped off.8. The video tag device stops recording the low-rate audio and videodata.

Use Case #2: Rider's Safety at Risk Before Entering the Vehicle

1. Rider requests ride within the rideshare application running on therider's mobile device.2. Driver accepts the ride using the rideshare application running onthe driver's mobile device and the driver drives to rider's location.3. Rideshare application running on the rider's mobile device determinesthat the vehicle is not that of the driver who accepted the ride(incorrect device identifier).4. Rideshare application running on the rider's mobile device warnsrider not to enter the vehicle.5. Rider does not enter vehicle and reports issue to rideshare company(or taps a software panic button in the rideshare application).

Use Case #3: Rider's Safety at Risk Before Entering the Vehicle

1. Rider requests ride within the rideshare application running on therider's mobile device.2. Driver accepts the ride using the rideshare application running onthe driver's mobile device and the driver drives to rider's location.3. Rideshare application running on rider's mobile device confirms thevehicle is that of the driver who accepted the ride (by verifying thedevice identifier).4. A part of the safety technology, for example, the video tag device isnot working properly.5. Rider enters the vehicle and does not receive an image of theinterior of the vehicle.6. Rideshare application running on the rider's mobile device warnsrider to exit the vehicle.7. Rider exits the vehicle and reports issue to rideshare company (ortaps a software panic button in the rideshare application).

Use Case #4: Rider Attacked During Ride

1. Rider requests ride within the rideshare application running on therider's mobile device.2. Driver accepts the ride using the rideshare application running onthe driver's mobile device and the driver drives to rider's location.3. Rideshare application running on rider's mobile device confirms thevehicle is that of the driver who accepted the ride (by verifying thedevice identifier).4. The video tag device takes snapshot image of backseat of the vehicleusing, for example, an inward-facing camera, and sends the image over aBluetooth or WiFi network to a rideshare application running on therider's mobile device so that the rider can confirm that the technologyis working.5. The video tag device begins recording audio and video at a low rate,and stores a buffer of these streams. The video tag device takessnapshot image of the interior of the vehicle and sends to rider'smobile device.6. During the trip the rider determines that he or she is in danger andtriggers panic alert by activating a physical button on a tag device inthe vehicle or by activating a software button in the rideshareapplication on the rider's mobile device.7. A panic alert message is sent to the server and then onto thecomputing device, which may be a rideshare company's call center.8. The video tag device begins recording high-rate audio, image, andvideo data and saves the recording locally.9. Audio data and a snapshot image are sent to the rider's mobile device(the user who triggered the panic alert), the server, and the ridesharecompany's call center for confirmation of the panic alert.10. High-rate audio, image, and video data is sent via WiFi to therider's mobile device after 5 minutes of recording. The rider's mobiledevice forwards the data to the server.11. The rider's mobile device may be taken and turned off during theattack, but after panic button is triggered.

Use Case #5: Rider Driven Off-Route, Taken to 3rd Location, and Attacked

1. Rider requests ride within the rideshare application running on therider's mobile device.2. Driver accepts the ride using the rideshare application running onthe driver's mobile device and the driver drives to rider's location.3. Rideshare application running on rider's mobile device confirms thevehicle is that of the driver who accepted the ride (by verifying thedevice identifier).4. The video tag device takes snapshot image of backseat of the vehicleusing, for example, an inward-facing camera, and sends the image over aBluetooth or WiFi network to a rideshare application running on therider's mobile device so that the rider can confirm that the technologyis working.5. The video tag device begins recording audio and video at a low rate,and stores a buffer of these streams. The video tag device takessnapshot image of the interior of the vehicle and sends to rider'smobile device.6. Rider is driven off-route, but their alertness is impaired(asleep/intoxicated) so they cannot activate the panic alert button.7. Rideshare application running on driver's mobile device detects thatthat vehicle is going off-route via geo-fencing features and triggers apanic alert.8. Panic alert message is sent to the server and to the ridesharecompany's call center.9. The video tag device begins recording high-rate audio, image, andvideo data and saves the data locally.10. Audio data and a snapshot image are sent to the rider's mobiledevice (the user who triggered the panic alert), the server, and therideshare company's call center for confirmation of the panic alert.11. High-rate audio, image, and video data is sent via WiFi to therider's mobile device after 5 minutes of recording. The rider's mobiledevice forwards the data to the server.12. The rider's mobile device may be taken and turned off during theattack, but after panic button is triggered.

Use Case #6: Driver Attacked During the Ride

1. Rider requests ride within the rideshare application running on therider's mobile device.2. Driver accepts the ride using the rideshare application running onthe driver's mobile device and the driver drives to rider's location.3. Rideshare application running on rider's mobile device confirms thevehicle is that of the driver who accepted the ride (by verifying thedevice identifier).4. The video tag device begins recording audio and video at a low rate,and stores a buffer of these streams.5. Rider enters the vehicle and receives preselect-selected audio chimeto indicate the safety technology is functioning properly.6. During the trip the driver determines he or she is in danger andtriggers panic alert by activating a software panic button in therideshare application on the driver's mobile device.7. Panic alert message is sent to the server and to rideshare company'scall center.8. The video tag device begins recording high-rate audio, image, andvideo data and saves the data locally.9. Audio data and a snapshot image are sent to the rider's mobile device(the user who triggered the panic alert), the server, and the ridesharecompany's call center for confirmation of the panic alert.10. High-rate audio, image, and video data is sent via WiFi to thedriver's mobile device after 10 minutes of recording. The driver'smobile device forwards the data to the server.11. The driver's mobile device may be taken and turned off during theattack, but after panic button is triggered.

Other implementations are also within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A camera, comprising: a housing comprising cameracircuitry; and a moveable stalk extending from the housing, the stalkcomprising a first end and a second end, the first end being moveablycoupled with the housing, the second end including an image sensor. 2.The camera of claim 1, in which the camera circuitry comprises aprocessor and storage for instructions executable by the processor tocause the camera to capture one or more images.
 3. The camera of claim1, in which the camera circuitry comprises one or more communicationscircuits.
 4. The camera of claim 3, in which the one or morecommunications circuits include one or a combination of two or more of aBluetooth communications circuit, a WiFi communications circuit, and acellular communications circuit.
 5. The camera of claim 1, in which thecamera circuitry comprises one or more sensors.
 6. The camera of claim5, in which the one or more sensors include one or more of anaccelerometer, a magnetometer, a barometer, a speedometer, a gyroscope,a compass, a position sensor, and a microphone.
 7. The camera of claim1, comprising an actuator configured to rotate the moveable stalk inresponse to signals from the camera circuitry.
 8. The camera of claim 1,in which the housing comprises one or more batteries configured to powerthe camera.
 9. The camera of claim 1, in which a first side of thehousing comprises a recess.
 10. The camera of claim 9, in which therecess is configured to hold a solar panel.
 11. The camera of claim 9,in which the first side of the housing comprises one or more adhesivestrips.
 12. The camera of claim 9, in which a second side of the housingcomprises one or more ventilation ports, the second side of the housingbeing opposite the first side.
 13. The camera of claim 1, comprising aflexible connector for electrically coupling the first image sensor tothe camera circuitry.
 14. The camera of claim 1, in which the moveablestalk extends along a first axis and is rotatable about a second axis,the first axis being perpendicular to the second axis.
 15. The camera ofclaim 14, in which at least a portion of the moveable stalk is rotatableabout the first axis.
 16. The camera of claim 1, in which the housingcomprises a speaker.
 17. The camera of claim 1, in which the imagesensor comprises an infrared (IR) image sensor.
 18. The camera of claim17, comprising an IR illuminator configured to illuminate the field ofview of the image sensor.
 19. The camera of claim 1, comprising a secondimage sensor included within the moveable stalk.
 20. The camera of claim19, in which the second image sensor is positioned toward the first endof the stalk.
 21. The camera of claim 19, in which the second imagesensor is positioned on the opposite side of the moveable stalk from thefirst image.
 22. The camera of claim 19, in which the second imagesensor include a wide-angle lens.
 23. The camera of claim 1, comprisingan LED indicator included within the moveable stalk.
 24. The camera ofclaim 1, in which the moveable stalk is moveably coupled to the housingby a pivot mechanism.
 25. The camera of claim 24, in which the pivotmechanism comprises one or more O-rings.
 26. The camera of claim 25, inwhich the material of one or more of the O-rings have a Shore A hardnessbetween about 75 and about
 90. 27. A method, comprising: receiving, at atelematics device at a vehicle, a connection from a mobile device, thetelematics device including a camera positioned to capture one or moreimages at the vehicle; and in response to receiving the connection,providing one or more signals to cause the camera to capture one or moreimages at the vehicle.
 28. The method of claim 27, in which the camerais an inward-facing camera positioned to capture the one or more imagesof an interior of the vehicle.
 29. The method of claim 28, in which theinward-facing camera is positioned to capture the one or more images ofboth a front seat and a rear seat of the vehicle.
 30. The method ofclaim 27, in which the camera is an outward-facing camera positioned tocapture the one or more images of an area exterior to the vehicle. 31.The method of claim 27, in which the camera is coupled with an actuatorconfigured to move the camera in response to the one or more signals.32. The method of claim 27, in which the camera is configured to zoom inor zoom out in response to the one or more signals.
 33. The method ofclaim 27, in which the camera comprises an infrared (IR) camera.
 34. Themethod of claim 33, in which the camera includes an IR illuminatorconfigured to illuminate an area within the view of the camera.
 35. Themethod of claim 27, in which the camera includes a wide-angle lens. 36.The method of claim 27, in which the telematics device is configured tobe attached within the vehicle.
 37. The method of claim 36, in which thetelematics device includes a permanent adhesive or a semi-permanentadhesive for attachment within the vehicle.
 38. The method of claim 27,in which the one or more images comprise a video.
 39. The method ofclaim 27, in which the camera is configured to capture the one or moreimages at a rate indicated by the one or more signals.
 40. The method ofclaim 27, in which the camera is configured to capture the one or moreimages at a resolution indicated by the one or more signals.
 41. Themethod of claim 40, in which a first image of the one or more images iscaptured at a first resolution, and in which a second image of the oneor more images is captured at a second resolution, the first resolutionbeing different than the second resolution.
 42. The method of claim 27,in which the telematics device includes a microphone configured torecord audio in response to the one or more signals.
 43. The method ofclaim 27, in which the telematics device comprises a tag device or avideo tag device.
 44. The method of claim 27, in which the telematicsdevice comprises a mobile device.
 45. The method of claim 27, in whichthe one or more images are sent to a server.
 46. The method of claim 45,in which the server is associated with one or a combination of two ormore of an automotive safety organization, an insurance company, aridesharing company, an emergency service, a call center, a user of thetelematics device, or a user of the vehicle.
 47. The method of claim 27,in which the telematics device includes one or more sensors configuredto produce telematics data at the vehicle.
 48. The method of claim 47,in which the one or more sensors include one or a combination of two ormore of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a barometer, a speedometer, agyroscope, a compass, a position sensor, an image sensor, and amicrophone.
 49. The method of claim 47, comprising: receiving the one ormore images captured by the camera; detecting, based on the telematicsdata or the one or more images, or both, a personal safety concern for aperson at the vehicle; and providing, based on the personal safetyconcern, one or more additional signals to cause the camera to recordone or more additional images at the vehicle.
 50. The method of claim49, in which the personal safety concern is associated with one or moreof a vehicle crash, an activation of a personal safety alert button, adistraction of the driver of the vehicle, an incapacity of the person atthe vehicle, a relationship of a geographic location of the vehicle to apredetermined geographic boundary, a determination that the vehicle isat an intersection, a determination that the vehicle is in closeproximity to another vehicle, a detection of an object in a path of thevehicle, a noise in the vehicle exceeding a predetermined noisethreshold, a command voiced in the vehicle matching a predefined voicecommand, a physical altercation at the vehicle, an inertial event of thevehicle that exceeds a predetermined inertial magnitude, or a detectionthat the telematics device is tampered with.
 51. The method of claim 49,in which the one or more additional images are captured at a differentrate or resolution than the one or more images.
 52. A personal safetysystem, comprising: a camera positioned within a vehicle; a processor;and storage for instructions executable by the processor to: detect aconnection between the personal safety system and a mobile device at avehicle; and in response to detecting the connection, provide one ormore signals to cause the camera to capture one or more images at thevehicle.
 53. An apparatus comprising a telematics device at a vehicleconfigured to: receive a connection from a mobile device, the telematicsdevice including a camera positioned to capture one or more images atthe vehicle; and in response to receiving the connection, provide one ormore signals to cause the camera to capture one or more images at thevehicle.
 54. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructionsexecutable by a processor to: detect a connection between a mobiledevice and a telematics device at a vehicle, the telematics deviceincluding a camera positioned to capture one or more images at thevehicle; and in response to detecting the connection, provide one ormore signals to cause the camera to capture one or more images at thevehicle.
 55. A method, comprising: receiving telematics data produced byone or more sensors associated with a telematics device at a vehicle;detecting, based on the telematics data, that the vehicle is in use; andin response to detecting that the vehicle is in use, providing one ormore signals to cause a camera positioned within the vehicle to captureone or more images at the vehicle.
 56. The method of claim 55, in whichdetecting that the vehicle is in use comprises one or more of detectingthat the vehicle is on, detecting that a user has entered the vehicle oris within a proximity of the vehicle, or detecting that the telematicsdevice is in the vehicle or is within a proximity of the vehicle.
 57. Apersonal safety system, comprising: a camera positioned within avehicle; a processor; and storage for instructions executable by theprocessor to: receive telematics data produced by one or more sensorsassociated with a telematics device at the vehicle; detect, based on thetelematics data, that the personal safety system is in use; and inresponse to detecting that the personal safety system is in use, provideone or more signals to cause the camera to capture one or more images atthe vehicle.
 58. The system of claim 57, in which detecting that thepersonal safety system is in use comprises one or more of detecting thatthe personal safety system is on, detecting that the telematics devicehas connected to the personal safety system, detecting that the vehicleis on, detecting that a user has entered the vehicle or is within aproximity of the vehicle, or detecting that the telematics device is inthe vehicle or is within a proximity of the vehicle.
 59. A method,comprising: receiving telematics data produced by one or more telematicsdevices at a vehicle; identifying, based on the telematics data, apersonal safety trigger related to the vehicle or a user of the vehicle;and providing, in response to the personal safety trigger, one or moresignals to cause one or a combination of two or more of the telematicsdevices to produce additional telematics data.
 60. The method of claim59, in which the telematics data is produced by one or more sensorsassociated with the one or more telematics devices.
 61. The method ofclaim 60, in which the one or more sensors include one or a combinationof two or more of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a barometer, aspeedometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a position sensor, an image sensor,and a microphone.
 62. The method of claim 59, in which the one or moretelematics devices include one or a combination of two or more of a tagdevice, a video tag device, and a mobile device.
 63. The method of claim59, in which one or a combination of two or more of the telematicsdevices includes a camera positioned within the vehicle.
 64. The methodof claim 63, in which the additional telematics data comprises one ormore images captured by the camera in response to the one or moresignals.
 65. The method of claim 63, in which the camera is aninward-facing camera positioned to capture the one or more images of aninterior of the vehicle.
 66. The method of claim 65, in which theinward-facing camera is positioned to capture the one or more images ofboth a front seat and a rear seat of the vehicle.
 67. The method ofclaim 63, in which the camera is an outward-facing camera positioned tocapture the one or more images of an area exterior to the vehicle. 68.The method of claim 63, in which the telematics device is a mobiledevice, and in which the camera is a camera of the mobile device. 69.The method of claim 63, in which the camera is coupled with an actuatorconfigured to move the camera in response to the one or more signals.70. The method of claim 63, in which the camera is configured to zoom inor zoom out in response to the one or more signals.
 71. The method ofclaim 63, in which the camera comprises an infrared (IR) camera.
 72. Themethod of claim 71, in which the camera includes an IR illuminatorconfigured to illuminate an area within the view of the camera.
 73. Themethod of claim 63, in which the camera includes a wide-angle lens. 74.The method of claim 63, in which the camera is configured to be attachedwithin the vehicle.
 75. The method of claim 74, in which the cameraincludes a permanent adhesive or a semi-permanent adhesive forattachment within the vehicle.
 76. The method of claim 64, in which theone or more images comprise a video.
 77. The method of claim 64, inwhich the camera is configured to capture the one or more images at arate indicated by the one or more signals.
 78. The method of claim 64,in which the camera is configured to capture the one or more images at aresolution indicated by the one or more signals.
 79. The method of claim78, in which a first image of the one or more images is captured at afirst resolution, and in which a second image of the one or more imagesis captured at a second resolution, the first resolution being differentthan the second resolution.
 80. The method of claim 59, in which one ora combination of two or more of the telematics device includes amicrophone at the vehicle.
 81. The method of claim 80, in which theadditional telematics data comprises audio data captured by themicrophone in response to the one or more signals.
 82. The method ofclaim 59, in which the personal safety trigger is associated with one ormore of a vehicle crash, an activation of a personal safety alertbutton, a distraction of the driver of the vehicle, an incapacity of theperson at the vehicle, a relationship of a geographic location of thevehicle to a predetermined geographic boundary, a determination that thevehicle is at an intersection, a determination that the vehicle is inclose proximity to another vehicle, a detection of an object in a pathof the vehicle, a noise in the vehicle exceeding a predetermined noisethreshold, a command voiced in the vehicle matching a predefined voicecommand, a physical altercation at the vehicle, an inertial event of thevehicle that exceeds a predetermined inertial magnitude, or a detectionthat the telematics device is tampered with.
 83. The method of claim 59,comprising sending one or more of the telematics data, the triggeringevent, or the additional telematics data to a server.
 84. The method ofclaim 83, in which the server is associated with one or a combination oftwo or more of an automotive safety organization, an insurance company,a ridesharing company, an emergency service, a call center, a user ofthe telematics device, or a user of the vehicle.
 85. The method of claim59, in which the telematics data includes image data or audio dataproduced at the vehicle.
 86. The method of claim 59, in which theadditional telematics data is produced at a different rate or resolutionthan the telematics data.
 87. The method of claim 86, in which theadditional telematics data is produced at a higher rate than thetelematics data.
 88. The method of claim 59, comprising receiving theadditional telematics data produced by one or a combination of two ormore of the telematics device and verifying, based on the additionaltelematics data, the personal safety trigger to produce a verifiedpersonal safety trigger.
 89. The method of claim 88, comprisingproviding, based on the verified personal safety trigger, one or moreadditional signals to cause one or a combination of two or more of thetelematics device to adjust collection of future telematics data.
 90. Apersonal safety system comprising: a camera in a vehicle; a processor;and storage for instructions executable by the processor to: receivetelematics data produced by one or more sensors associated with atelematics device at the vehicle; identify, based on the telematicsdata, a personal safety trigger related to the vehicle or a user of thevehicle; and provide, in response to the personal safety trigger, one ormore signals to cause the camera to capture one or more images at thevehicle.
 91. The system of claim 90, in which the camera is aninward-facing camera positioned to capture the one or more images of aninterior of the vehicle.
 92. The system of claim 91, in which theinward-facing camera is positioned to capture the one or more images ofboth a front seat and a rear seat of the vehicle.
 93. The system ofclaim 90, in which the camera is an outward-facing camera positioned tocapture the one or more images of an area exterior to the vehicle. 94.The system of claim 90, in which the camera is included in thetelematics device.
 95. The system of claim 90, in which the camera is amobile device camera.
 96. The system of claim 90, in which the camera iscoupled with an actuator configured to move the camera in response tothe one or more signals.
 97. The system of claim 90, in which the camerais configured to zoom in or zoom out in response to the one or moresignals.
 98. The system of claim 90, in which the camera comprises aninfrared (IR) camera.
 99. The system of claim 98, comprising an IRilluminator configured to illuminate an area within the view of thecamera.
 100. The system of claim 90, in which the camera includes awide-angle lens.
 101. The system of claim 90, in which the camera isconfigured to be attached within the vehicle.
 102. The system of claim101, in which the camera includes a permanent adhesive or asemi-permanent adhesive for attachment within the vehicle.
 103. Thesystem of claim 90, in which the one or more images comprise a video.104. The system of claim 90, in which the camera is configured tocapture the one or more images at a rate indicated by the one or moresignals.
 105. The system of claim 90, in which the camera is configuredto capture the one or more images at a resolution indicated by the oneor more signals.
 106. The system of claim 105, in which a first image ofthe one or more images is captured at a first resolution, and in which asecond image of the one or more images is captured at a secondresolution, the first resolution being different than the secondresolution.
 107. The system of claim 90, in which the camera includes amicrophone configured to record audio in response to the one or moresignals.
 108. The system of claim 90, in which the one or more sensorsinclude one or a combination of two or more of an accelerometer, amagnetometer, a barometer, a speedometer, a gyroscope, a compass, aposition sensor, an image sensor, and a microphone.
 109. The method ofclaim 90, in which the personal safety trigger is associated with one ormore of a vehicle crash, an activation of a personal safety alertbutton, a distraction of the driver of the vehicle, an incapacity of theuser of the vehicle, a relationship of a geographic location of thevehicle to a predetermined geographic boundary, a determination that thevehicle is at an intersection, a determination that the vehicle is inclose proximity to another vehicle, a detection of an object in a pathof the vehicle, a noise in the vehicle exceeding a predetermined noisethreshold, a command voiced in the vehicle matching a predefined voicecommand, a physical altercation at the vehicle, an inertial event of thevehicle that exceeds a predetermined inertial magnitude, or a detectionthat the telematics device is tampered with.
 110. The system of claim90, in which the telematics device comprises a tag device or a video tagdevice.
 111. The system of claim 90, in which the telematics devicecomprises a mobile device.
 112. The system of claim 90, comprisingcommunications circuitry to communicate the one or more signals from theprocessor to the camera.
 113. The system of claim 112, in which thecommunications circuitry comprises one or more of a Bluetoothcommunications circuit, a WiFi communications circuit, and a cellularcommunications circuit.
 114. The system of claim 90, comprisingcommunications circuitry to communicate one or more of the telematicsdata, the triggering event, the one or more signals, the one or moreimages, and audio recorded in response to the indication of thetriggering event to a server.
 115. The system of claim 114, in which theserver is associated with one or a combination of two or more of anautomotive safety organization, an insurance company, a ridesharingcompany, an emergency service, a call center, a user of the telematicsdevice, or the occupant of the vehicle.
 116. The system of claim 90, inwhich the telematics data includes image data or audio data produced atthe vehicle.
 117. The system of claim 116, in which the one or moreimages are captured at a different rate or resolution than the imagedata.
 118. The system of claim 90, comprising instructions executable bythe processor to: receive the one or more images captured by the camera;and verify, based on the one or more images, the personal safety triggerto produce a verified personal safety trigger.
 119. The system of claim118, comprising instructions executable by the processor to: provide,based on the verified personal safety trigger, one or more additionalsignals to cause the camera to record one or more additional images atthe vehicle.
 120. An apparatus comprising a telematics device at avehicle configured to: receive telematics data produced by one or moresensors at a vehicle; identify, based on the telematics data, a personalsafety trigger related to the vehicle or a user of the vehicle; andprovide, in response to the personal safety trigger, one or more signalsto cause one or a combination of two or more of the telematics devicesto produce additional telematics data.
 121. A non-transitory storagemedium storing instructions executable by a processor to: receivetelematics data produced by one or more telematics devices at a vehicle;identify, based on the telematics data, a personal safety triggerrelated to the vehicle or a user of the vehicle; and provide, inresponse to the personal safety trigger, one or more signals to causeone or a combination of two or more of the telematics devices to produceadditional telematics data.
 122. A method, comprising: receiving arequest from a first user device to join a personal safety technology,the first user device associated with a driver of a vehicle; receiving arequest from a second user device to join the personal safetytechnology, the second user device associated with a passenger of thevehicle; and providing each of the first user device and the second userdevice access to a telematics device within the vehicle, the telematicsdevice configured to produce telematics data for both the driver and thepassenger.
 123. The method of claim 122, in which the first user devicecomprises a mobile device.
 124. The method of claim 122, in which thetelematics device comprises a tag device, a video tag device, or amobile device.
 125. The method of claim 122, in which the telematicsdevice includes a camera positioned within the vehicle.
 126. The methodof claim 125, in which the telematics data comprises one or more imagesof both the driver and the passenger captured by the camera.
 127. Themethod of claim 122, in which the telematics device includes amicrophone.
 128. The method of claim 127, in which the telematics datacomprises audio from both the driver and the passenger captured by themicrophone.
 129. The method of claim 122, in which the telematics deviceis configured to provide the telematics data to each of the first userdevice and the second user device.
 130. The method of claim 122, inwhich the telematics device is configured to provide the telematics datafor both the driver and the passenger to a trusted third party.
 131. Themethod of claim 130, in which the trusted third party comprises one or acombination of two or more of an automotive safety organization, aninsurance company, a ridesharing company, an emergency service, or acall center.
 132. The method of claim 122, in which the telematicsdevice is configured to receive a personal safety alert from the firstmobile device and the second mobile device.
 133. The method of claim122, in which the telematics device is configured to detect a personalsafety concern for the driver or the passenger by detecting a noise fromthe driver or the passenger that exceeds a predetermined noisethreshold.
 134. The method of claim 122, in which the telematics deviceis configured to detect a personal safety concern for the driver or thepassenger by detecting a command voiced by the driver or the passengerthat matches a predefined voice command.
 135. The method of claim 122,in which the telematics device is tamper resistant.
 136. The method ofclaim 122, in which the telematics device is configured to generate analert to one or more of the first user device, the second user device,and a trusted third party in response to a tampering attempt.
 137. Themethod of claim 122, in which the telematics device is battery powered.138. An apparatus comprising a telematics device at a vehicle configuredto: receive a request from a first user device to join a personal safetytechnology, the first user device associated with a driver of a vehicle;receive a request from a second user device to join the personal safetytechnology, the second user device associated with a passenger of thevehicle; and provide each of the first user device and the second userdevice access to the telematics device at the vehicle, the telematicsdevice configured to produce telematics data for both the driver and thepassenger.
 139. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructionsexecutable by a processor to: receive a request from a first user deviceto join a personal safety technology, the first user device associatedwith a driver of a vehicle; receive a request from a second user deviceto join the personal safety technology, the second user deviceassociated with a passenger of the vehicle; and provide each of thefirst user device and the second user device access to a telematicsdevice within the vehicle, the telematics device configured to producetelematics data for both the driver and the passenger.
 140. A method,comprising: receiving data associated with a telematics device locatedat a vehicle, the telematics device being part of a personal safetytechnology; determining, based on the data, a status of the personalsafety technology; and generating, based on the status, an alert to auser of the personal safety technology, the alert including anindication of the status of the personal safety technology.
 141. Themethod of claim 140, in which determining the status of the personalsafety technology comprises determining, based on the data, whether thetelematics device is powered on.
 142. The method of claim 140, in whichdetermining the status of the personal safety technology comprisesdetermining, based on the data, whether the telematics device isconnected to the personal safety technology.
 143. The method of claim140, in which receiving the data associated with the telematics devicecomprises receiving a battery level of the telematics device.
 144. Themethod of claim 143, in which determining the status of the personalsafety technology comprises comparing the battery level of thetelematics device with a threshold battery level and determining, basedon the comparison, the status of the personal safety technology, inwhich the status is deemed to be unsafe in response to determining thatthe battery level of the telematics device is below the thresholdbattery level.
 145. The method of claim 140, in which receiving the dataassociated with the telematics device comprises receiving a uniqueidentifier associated with the telematics device.
 146. The method ofclaim 145, in which determining the status of the personal safetytechnology comprises connecting the telematics device to the personalsafety technology using the unique identifier, in which status is deemedto be unsafe in response to a failed connection using the uniqueidentifier.
 147. The method of claim 140, in which receiving the dataassociated with the telematics device comprises receiving one or moreimages of an interior of the vehicle captured by the telematics device.148. The method of claim 147, in which the one or more images areincluded in the alert to the user.
 149. The method of claim 147, inwhich generating the alert comprises determining that the user hasentered the vehicle, causing the telematics device to capture the one ormore images of the interior of the vehicle, in which the user ispictured in the one or more images, and providing the one or more imagesin the alert to the user.
 150. The method of claim 140, in which thetelematics device comprises a tag device at the vehicle.
 151. The methodof claim 140, in which the telematics device comprises a mobile device.152. The method of claim 140, in which the alert is transmitted to amobile device of the user.
 153. The method of claim 152, in which thealert causes the mobile device to display a user interface including theindication of the status of the personal safety technology.
 154. Themethod of claim 140, in which the alert comprises a recommendation tothe user.
 155. The method of claim 154, in which the user is a driver ofthe vehicle, and the recommendation comprises a notification to notaccept a passenger into the vehicle.
 156. The method of claim 155, inwhich the user is a passenger of the vehicle, and the recommendationcomprises a notification to not enter the vehicle.
 157. The method ofclaim 140, in which the alert comprises an audible indication of thestatus of the personal safety technology.
 158. The method of claim 157,in which the audible indication is configurable by the user.
 159. Themethod of claim 140, in which the alert comprises a visual indication ofthe status of the personal safety technology.
 160. The method of claim159, in which the visual indication comprises an image of the vehicle, adriver of the vehicle, or a passenger of the vehicle.
 161. An apparatuscomprising a telematics device at a vehicle configured to: determine,based on data associated with the telematics device, a status ofpersonal safety technology, the telematics device being part of thepersonal safety technology; and generate, based on the status, an alertto a user of the personal safety technology, the alert including anindication of the status of the personal safety technology.
 162. Anon-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by aprocessor to: receive data associated with a telematics device locatedat a vehicle, the telematics device being part of a personal safetytechnology; determine, based on the data, a status of the personalsafety technology; and generate, based on the status, an alert to a userof the personal safety technology, the alert including an indication ofthe status of the personal safety technology.
 163. A method, comprising:receiving telematics data produced by one or more sensors associatedwith a telematics device, the telematics data including audio data orvideo data captured at a vehicle; and providing the telematics data to amobile device associated with a user of the vehicle over a firstnetwork, and the telematics data to a server over a second network. 164.The method of claim 163, in which the first network and the secondnetwork comprise different network types.
 165. The method of claim 163,in which the first network comprises a Bluetooth network or a WiFinetwork.
 166. The method of claim 163, in which the second networkcomprises a cellular network or a WiFi network.
 167. The method of claim163, in which the server is associated with one or a combination of twoor more of an automotive safety organization, an insurance company, aridesharing company, an emergency service, a call center, a user of thetelematics device, or a user of the vehicle.
 168. The method of claim163, in which the user of the vehicle comprises a driver of the vehicleor a passenger of the vehicle.
 169. The method of claim 163, in whichthe video data comprises video data of an interior of the vehicle orvideo data of an area exterior to the vehicle, or both.
 170. The methodof claim 163, in which the telematics device comprises a tag device or avideo tag device.
 171. The method of claim 163, in which the telematicsdevice is configured to provide the telematics data to the mobile devicein real time.
 172. The method of claim 163, in which the telematicsdevice is configured to capture the telematics data for a predeterminedperiod of time before providing the telematics data to the mobiledevice.
 173. The method of claim 163, in which the telematics device isconfigured to automatically provide the telematics data to the mobiledevice in response to detecting the presence of the mobile device on thefirst network.
 174. The method of claim 163, comprising causing thetelematics data to be stored persistently.
 175. The method of claim 163,in which the mobile device is configured to provide the telematics datato the server in response to detecting a predetermined network type.176. The method of claim 163, in which the server is configured toprovide a user interface to present the telematics data to the user ofthe vehicle.
 177. The method of claim 163, in which the server isconfigured to analyze the video data or the audio data, or both, todetermine the driving behavior of a driver of the vehicle.
 178. Themethod of claim 177, in which the server is configured to provide anindication of the driving behavior to the driver through a userinterface.
 179. The method of claim 163, in which the server isconfigured to analyze the video data or the audio data, or both, todetermine whether a driver or a passenger of the vehicle isincapacitated.
 180. The method of claim 163, in which the server isconfigured to analyze the video data or the audio data, or both, toidentify a vehicle crash.
 181. The method of claim 163, in which theserver is configured to provide the telematics data to a call center.182. An apparatus comprising a telematics device at a vehicle configuredto: receive telematics data produced by one or more sensors associatedwith the telematics device, the telematics data including audio data orvideo data captured at a vehicle; and provide the telematics data to amobile device associated with a user of the vehicle over a firstnetwork, and the telematics data to a server over a second network. 183.A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by aprocessor to: receive telematics data produced by one or more sensorsassociated with a telematics device, the telematics data including audiodata or video data captured at a vehicle; and provide the telematicsdata to a mobile device associated with a user of the vehicle over afirst network, and the telematics data to a server over a secondnetwork.